FUTO students sent to Bosnian refugee camp after tennis competition in Croatia have been released

FUTO students sent to Bosnian refugee camp after tennis competition in Croatia have been released

The students, who went for a walk after the competition were arrested by Bosnian police because they could not their travel documents .
   
   
   
       
       
           
               
                   

The students, who went for a walk after the competition were arrested by Bosnian police because they could not their travel documents .

               
           
               
                   

Two students of the Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO), who ended up in a Bosnian refugee camp, have been released.

               
           
               
                   

According to the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), the students are now on their way home.

               
           
               
                   

It was gathered that the students, Abia Uchenna and Eboh Chinedu had attended an international table tennis competition in Croatia in November, 2019.

               
           
               
                   

After the competition, the Nigerian students, were reportedly arrested by the Croatian police while they were taking a walk in Zagreb, the country, because they could not provide their travel documents at the point of arrest.

               
           
               
                   

According to reports, the police officers conveyed the students to the country’s border and later to a refugee camp, thinking the students were illegal immigrants.

               
           
               
                   

In a statement on Friday, December 20, 2019, Gabriel Odu, NIDCOM spokesman said the students have been released.

               
           
               
                   

The satement reads, “Latest reports indicate that the two Nigerians detained in Bosnia border camp have been released and are airborne back home to Nigeria,” the statement read.

               
           
               
                   

“We commend the quick intervention of the Minister of Foreign Affairs Mr Geofrey Onyeama, the Nigerian Ambassador to Hungary Amb Eniola Ajayi and staff of the mission and the unrelenting efforts of the Chairman/CEO, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission Hon Abike Dabiri-Erewa. The Commission earnestly wait for their safe return.

               
           
               
                   

“It could be recalled that the two Nigerians were arrested while taking a walk around the capital on November 18 as they couldn’t produce relevant documents to the police.

               
           
               
                   

“The police officers reportedly transferred them to Bosnia-Herzegovina border, where Croatian authorities had gathered a group of irregular migrants making efforts to cross into the country.”

Source: FUTO students sent to Bosnian refugee camp after tennis competition in Croatia have been released

- gist culled from pulseng