Nigerian Government Intervenes in Deportation Clash Involving Students at Teesside University.

By Caroline Ameh

In a bid to address the escalating tension surrounding the deportation orders issued to Nigerian students at Teesside University in the UK, the Nigerian government has intervened, deploying a delegation led by Ambassador Christian Okeke and representatives from the Nigerian Students Union UK.

The diplomatic mission lead by Ambassador Christian Okeke from the Nigerian Embassy in the UK, alongside leaders of the Nigerian Students Union UK, is set to engage with the management of Teesside University amidst a mounting crisis over the abrupt deportation orders served to several Nigerian students mid-academic term.

The decision to dispatch the delegation follows a virtual summit convened by Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Chairman/CEO of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), in collaboration with Ambassador Christian Okeke and Mr. Yemi Soile, President of the Nigerian Students Union UK. During the meeting held on Sunday, affected students expressed their grievances and optimism for a favorable resolution.

Abdur-Rahman Balogun, spokesperson for NIDCOM, revealed in a statement issued on Wednesday that the aggrieved students passionately recounted their ordeal and pinned their hopes on a positive intervention from the Nigerian authorities.

Chairman of NIDCOM, Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, urged the affected students to maintain calm and refrain from taking matters into their own hands. She further implored the University to uphold principles of justice and fairness in its dealings with the students.

The controversy erupted on May 22 when a group of Nigerian students studying at Teesside University staged a protest in response to directives from the University instructing them to depart the UK. The University cited alleged default in payment of school fees as grounds for the deportation orders.