•Director-General of Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, Abike Dabiri-Erewa
Two Nigerians who allegedly escaped from a prison in Nepal during recent anti-government protests have been arrested by operatives of the Sashastra Seema Bal, India’s paramilitary force.
It was learnt from a report by Press Trust of India yesterday that the suspects were apprehended on Saturday at Jainagar in Bihar State while attempting to cross into the Asian country.
The Nigerians were said to be among several foreign nationals and locals who fled detention facilities in Nepal after violent demonstrations rocked the Himalayan nation in recent weeks.
The news agency, while quoting a security source, stated, “These people have been caught from the border over the last three to four days after they escaped from various jails following the massive anti-government protests in Nepal.”
The SSB disclosed that more than 79 escapees, including other foreign nationals, have so far been arrested across different Indian states bordering Nepal.
Officials noted that the heightened security operation was necessary as the India-Nepal border, spanning 1,751 kilometres across 20 districts in five states, remains largely unfenced.
The arrest of the two Nigerians has once again thrown a spotlight on the recurring involvement of Nigerian nationals in transnational crimes across Asia, a development that has drawn concern from the authorities in recent years.
It was earlier reported in August that the Indian police in Kozhikode City arrested eight more Nigerians for allegedly trafficking drugs.
According to a report by The Hindu, the eight suspects allegedly played “key roles” in a bigger drug syndicate said to be operating across India.
Working with a state-level squad, the Kozhikode police uncovered a synthetic drug production unit in Gurugram, Haryana, with the help of police teams from Delhi and Haryana.
