Michael Olugbode in Abuja
The federal government has intensified efforts to secure the release of Nigerians detained in India, with the Nigeria High Commission in the country visiting 198 inmates across five prisons in Maharashtra as negotiations continue for a fresh six-month amnesty for Nigerians held over immigration-related offences.
The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), in a statement issued on Sunday by its Director of Media, Public Relations and Protocols, Abdur-Rahman Balogun, said the prison visits were conducted as of September 1, 2026, adding that Nigerians remained incarcerated in other Indian provinces.
The commission said the visits formed part of the Nigerian mission’s ongoing consular intervention in cases involving hundreds of Nigerians in Indian prisons, amid concerns over prolonged detention, immigration violations and delays in the prosecution of criminal cases.
According to NiDCOM, the Nigeria High Commission secured an amnesty programme between September last year and May this year that led to the release and repatriation of thousands of Nigerians detained mainly for immigration offences and other irregularities.
However, it said some Nigerians failed to take advantage of the amnesty before its expiration or did not utilise the opportunity when it was available.
The commission disclosed that Nigeria’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Ambassador Bianca Ojukwu, was engaging her Indian counterpart to secure another six-month amnesty for Nigerians detained in camps who had no pending trials but remained in custody over immigration-related offences.
The development followed public concerns over the detention of a Nigerian identified as Mr Ekene in India, with NiDCOM assuring that the High Commission would examine his case and determine whether he qualified for early release and repatriation.
It said that where Ekene was eligible to leave India, arrangements could be made for his return, provided his family was able to raise the necessary funds, stressing that established legal and administrative procedures would have to be followed.
“The Nigerian High Commission is on his case and that of others in similar circumstances and has also been putting pressure on the Indian government to speed up cases of those awaiting trials for various offences,” the statement said.
NiDCOM, however, clarified that the proposed amnesty would not cover Nigerians awaiting trial for criminal offences, including drug-related crimes.
The commission urged Nigerians living in India without valid immigration status to take advantage of the next amnesty programme once it was implemented, warning that those who continued to remain in the country illegally risked arrest.
“Nigerians in India, who are in India irregularly, should take advantage of the next set of amnesty being negotiated when effected, while others who are still staying there illegally should utilise the opportunity or risk being arrested,” NiDCOM Chairman/CEO, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, advised.
The commission also appealed to Nigerians abroad to respect the laws of their host countries and avoid conduct that could lead to arrest, prosecution or prolonged detention.
The latest intervention underscores the continuing challenge of irregular migration involving Nigerians in India, where immigration violations have contributed to the detention of nationals without valid documentation, while separate criminal cases remain subject to the Indian judicial process.
NiDCOM said the federal government would continue to engage the Indian authorities on the welfare of detained Nigerians, the acceleration of pending cases and the repatriation of those legally cleared to return home.