BEVERLY HILLS, May 01, (THEWILL) – Officers of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos Command on Saturday handed over a mentally unbalanced Nigerian deportee, Mr. Osagie Favour Aigbonghiamon, to his father after three days in their care.
Osagie, 22, was deported from Cyprus on Wednesday, April 28, 2021 aboard a Turkish Airline that discharged him at the airport.
A source close to one of the agencies at the airport confided in our correspondent on Saturday that the officers of the Immigration stopped Favour from going out of the airport after they observed that he was not mentally balanced and took it upon itself to locate the family members of the deranged man.
Speaking with THEWILL at the airport on Saturday, Mr. Lucky Osagie, the father of the deportee, an Edo man based in Warri, Delta State, expressed gratitude to the Immigration officers at the airport for locating him after three days of frantic searching.
He explained that the officers of the service put up massive efforts to locate him and called on other security and government agencies to emulate the service.
He emphasised that if all agencies could emulate the Immigration officers at the Lagos, the country would be a better place to live.
Osagie stated that Favour went to Cyprus in continuation of his education last November and never exhibited any traces of mental problems before he departed the country.
He, however, said that he would ensure Favour returned back for his education, stressing that it was the young man’s ambition to study abroad.
He said: “The Immigration officers at the airport have performed very satisfactorily. I want the other security agencies in the country to emulate the service. The Immigration guys at the Lagos airport have shown how to be your brother’s keeper. This is very surprising and worthy of emulation.
“The boy clocked 22 years old this April. I spoke with him about three weeks ago when he told me he was looking for accommodation and, about the same time, he told the mum that he had seen a black agent whom he would be staying with.
“He travelled to Cyprus last November for education. He never had any bad behaviour in Nigeria. The only thing I know is that he was having an issue with his agent on accommodation.
“He didn’t return with anything from Cyprus. I need to get his documents because he needs to continue with his education. He has always had the plan to school abroad. As it is now, he is not emotionally balanced with the current situation.”
About the Author
Anthony Awunor, is a business correspondent who holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Linguistics (UNILAG). He is also an alumnus of the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), Zaria Kaduna State. He lives in Lagos.
