by Kingseyi Thu Jul 26, 2018 7:05 pmThe Ministry of Foreign Affairs says 75 out of
230 stranded Nigerian Football fans absconded
in Russia after the 2018 FIFA World Cup .
The ministry’s Spokesperson, Dr Tope Elias-
Fatile, said in Abuja that the fans absconded in
spite of government’s efforts to repatriate them.
Fatile said that 230 stranded Nigerian football
fans were profiled to board charter Ethiopian
Airline to Abuja but at the last-minute, only 155
boarded the flight.
“As at the last count, over 230 stranded
Nigerians had been cleared to board an
Ethiopian Airline flight to Abuja, however, only
155 boarded the flight that arrived Friday night
July 22,” he said.
He said that the ministry officials had to
contribute to feed some of the stranded
Nigerians in Moscow as many of them were left
with nothing.
He said that though they had the rights not to
come back but it would be better for them to
return because of the unfavorable weather in that
country.
He said that the mission had done a lot to
facilitate their coming back but they did not
appreciate it.
”Do you know that the officials at mission have
to sacrifice their earning by contributing money
to feed the stranded fans,” he said.
He said that if, however, they repented and
decided to come back, the ministry was ever
ready to assist them.
Fatile said that Federal Government was ever
willing to assist Nigerians at anytime, anywhere
in the world
The spokesperson said that the Minister of
Foreign Affairs, Mr Geoffrey Onyeama, had also
made some contacts with relevant agencies to
commence investigation into suspected human
trafficking in the case.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Geoffrey
Onyeama, who was at the airport to monitor
their arrival, had said that the Federal
Government was going to probe the case.
He said that government had resolved to
investigate suspected human trafficking in the
case of the Nigerian football fans, who got
stranded in Russia after the World Cup
tournament.
Onyeama said that the plan to probe the issue
surrounding the incident was underway.
He said after a discussion with the Director-
General of National Agency for the Prohibition of
Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), Ms Julie Okah–
Donli, it was clear that there were possible
cases of human trafficking among the returnees.
“I have spoken to the D-G of NAPTIP and she
had also indicated that they had sounded the
alarm bells for these young children not to leave
the country, that it had all the hallmarks of
trafficking and irregular migration,” he said.
The minister insisted that some of them, among
who was a nursing mother, were quite too
young to have travelled to Russia by themselves
solely for the purpose of the World Cup
tournament.
He added that an investigation would also be
launched into an allegation that some travel
agents cancelled the return tickets of the football
fans without informing them, leaving them
stranded in the European country
230 stranded Nigerian Football fans absconded
in Russia after the 2018 FIFA World Cup .
The ministry’s Spokesperson, Dr Tope Elias-
Fatile, said in Abuja that the fans absconded in
spite of government’s efforts to repatriate them.
Fatile said that 230 stranded Nigerian football
fans were profiled to board charter Ethiopian
Airline to Abuja but at the last-minute, only 155
boarded the flight.
“As at the last count, over 230 stranded
Nigerians had been cleared to board an
Ethiopian Airline flight to Abuja, however, only
155 boarded the flight that arrived Friday night
July 22,” he said.
He said that the ministry officials had to
contribute to feed some of the stranded
Nigerians in Moscow as many of them were left
with nothing.
He said that though they had the rights not to
come back but it would be better for them to
return because of the unfavorable weather in that
country.
He said that the mission had done a lot to
facilitate their coming back but they did not
appreciate it.
”Do you know that the officials at mission have
to sacrifice their earning by contributing money
to feed the stranded fans,” he said.
He said that if, however, they repented and
decided to come back, the ministry was ever
ready to assist them.
Fatile said that Federal Government was ever
willing to assist Nigerians at anytime, anywhere
in the world
The spokesperson said that the Minister of
Foreign Affairs, Mr Geoffrey Onyeama, had also
made some contacts with relevant agencies to
commence investigation into suspected human
trafficking in the case.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Geoffrey
Onyeama, who was at the airport to monitor
their arrival, had said that the Federal
Government was going to probe the case.
He said that government had resolved to
investigate suspected human trafficking in the
case of the Nigerian football fans, who got
stranded in Russia after the World Cup
tournament.
Onyeama said that the plan to probe the issue
surrounding the incident was underway.
He said after a discussion with the Director-
General of National Agency for the Prohibition of
Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), Ms Julie Okah–
Donli, it was clear that there were possible
cases of human trafficking among the returnees.
“I have spoken to the D-G of NAPTIP and she
had also indicated that they had sounded the
alarm bells for these young children not to leave
the country, that it had all the hallmarks of
trafficking and irregular migration,” he said.
The minister insisted that some of them, among
who was a nursing mother, were quite too
young to have travelled to Russia by themselves
solely for the purpose of the World Cup
tournament.
He added that an investigation would also be
launched into an allegation that some travel
agents cancelled the return tickets of the football
fans without informing them, leaving them
stranded in the European country
