The Southern Africans, who arrived aboard a South African Airways Airbus A330 around 8.30pm, were denied entry.
South Africa and Nigeria are embroiled in a diplomatic feud after the authorities at Oliver Thambo Airport in Johannesburg deported 125 Nigerians on Friday, alleging their yellow fever vaccination cards were fakes.
Nigeria responded by deporting 84 South Africans within two days.
According to the Daily sun, NIS had so far deported about 121 South Africans via the Murtala Muhammed International Airport since weekend when 125 Nigerians aboard Arik Air were deported from South Africa over allegation that they possessed fake yellow fever vaccination cards. On Monday, 28 people were deported, while 56 were sent back on Tuesday, which was a huge shock to those affected.
Tuesday’s deportation was most inconveniencing for the ‘deportees’ as Daily Sun learnt that South African Airways had to off load some passengers and their bags for the airplane to accommodate those forced back home. According to the source, “the government is taking the matter seriously. The matter is not treated with kid gloves at all. We had a meeting with our top officials at the headquarters and we’ve been directed to send back South Africans whether resident in Nigeria or not.
“Once you arrive and you queue up for Immigration to get stamped in, we humbly accost you and send you back via the airplane that flew you in. We don’t care whether the airplane is filled up or not. You just have to go. That is the law and laws at times are not convenient. We are waiting for them today. We don’t know how many of them will arrive via South African Airways but once they walk into the arrival hall, we send them back from there,” the source said.
Recall that Arik Air had last week, threatened to halt its Lagos-Johannesburd service.
The airline said the decision to suspend the daily B737-800 service between the two financial hubs was taken due to the dispute between international airlines operating into Johannesburg and the Port Health Authorities over Yellow Fever documentation being presented to authorities at OR Tambo International Airport by passengers. Many of the passengers had been detained and refused entry into the country in recent months.
The Port Health Authorities cite the reasoning being incorrect or unrecognised batch numbers on the documentation, which was mandatory proof before entrance to the country.
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