Nigeria’s government says it will ensure that all stranded Nigerians in Russia are brought back home. Over 60 Nigerians have been left stranded in Russia after the World Cup.
Some of them travelled to Russia to watch the world cup to support their national team. They however had plans of securing jobs in Russia only to be disappointed.
Nigeria were eliminated from the games at the group stages and these supporters should have returned home by now.
Their failure to return home early left them stranded without help.
There were pictures of some of them sleeping in the open close to the Nigerian Embassy in Russia. The pictures went viral on social media.
Some also spent days sleeping at Moscow’s Vnukovo airport. A Russian NGO is said to be providing some assistance to these Nigerians.
President Muhammadu Buhari’s spokesperson Garba Shehu said in a statement that the foreign and aviation ministries has “taken the necessary actions to bring the Nigerians back”.
Fans falling victims
Some of these fans also claimed to have been tricked into buying football World Cup passes to travel to Russia.
They had bought Fan IDs, which served as visas for the duration of the tournament for $700 in the hope of securing professional football contracts.
Some also said their travel agencies cancelled their return flights and pocketed the cash.
Prior to the start of the world cup, a plot to traffic women from Nigeria to Russia for sex work was exposed.
That exposure was made by Nigerian officials with the support of anti-slavery activists.
Nigerian authorities said their investigations showed that preparations have been ongoing to send these women to Russia and exploit them.
Source: Africafeeds.com
