A French passenger, who flew into Nigeria without a Nigerian visa, has been sedated and returned to his home state in Paris Charles de Gaulle.
The passenger had arrived in Nigeria on board Air France two days ago but was denied entry for not having a visa.
The passenger, who has not been named, caused security and diplomatic concerns at the airport, forcing immigration officers to deboard him from an Air France flight and restrict his access to the boarding area.
In a post on his X handle, the Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection at the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Michael Achimugu, on Friday, said “Examined by a doctor and placed on a sedative, the unruly French national has finally boarded an Air France flight to CDG [Charles de Gaulle], Paris.
”I was physically present to witness his boarding at 10 pm on Thursday, along with the very capable terminal head, Miriam Anosike who did a yeoman’s job in this case, Ifueko Abdulmalik, and gallant men of the Nigeria Immigration Service.
“I must mention that the Immigration Commander at the airport, Mr. Agada, was very cooperative. His willingness to collaborate was the glue that held all of this together.
“We advised the airline to let the cabin crew have some of the administered sedatives in case the passenger displays any disruptive behaviour during the course of the flight.
“Kudos to both the NCAA, Nigeria Immigration Service and the Air France station manager who did an amazing job of attending to the passengers.”
