Immigration hands over deranged deportee to father in Lagos

Abiola Seun

Officials 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 its care.

Osagie, 22 years old was deported from Cyprus on Wednesday, April 28, 2021 aboard a Turkish Airline at the airport.

Speaking with aviation journalists at the airport on Saturday, Mr. Lucky Osagie, the father of the deportee, an Edo State man, based in Warri, Delta State expressed gratitude to the immigration officials at the airport for locating him after three days of frantic search.

He explained that the officials 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 officials at the Lagos, the country would be a better place to live.

Osagie stated that Favour was sent to Cyprus in continuation of his education last November and never exhibited any traces of mental issue before he departed the country.

He, however, said that he would ensure Favour returned back for his education, stressing that it was always his ambition to study abroad.

He said: “The immigration at the airport have performed very satisfactorily. I want the other security agencies in the country to emulate the service. The immigration at the Lagos airport have showed to be their 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 an accommodation and about the same time, he told the mum that he has 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.”

A source close to one of the agencies at the airport confided in our correspondent on Saturday that the officials of the immigration stopped Favour from going out of the airport after they observed that he was not mentally balanced and took it upon themselves to locate the family members of the deranged man.