The Nigerian Ambassador to Russia, Prof. Steve Ugba mentioned this in a web-based video assertion made out there by the spokesperson of the Ministry of Overseas Affairs, Dr Tope Elias-Fatile in Abuja on Sunday.
The Federal Authorities has vowed to arrest and prosecute the airline journey brokers who cancelled the return tickets of 230 Nigerian soccer followers stranded after the 2018 World Cup Match in Russia.
Ugba made authorities’s place identified whereas addressing the stranded Nigerians in Moscow, Russia earlier than their departure to Nigeria.
NAN stories that over 150 stranded Nigerian soccer followers besieged the Nigerian Embassy in Moscow on July 12, for help on the finish of the 2018 World Cup match.
The followers had alleged that their return tickets had been cancelled abruptly by airline brokers, ensuing to their being stranded in Russia with none hope of returning to Nigeria.
President Muhammadu Buhari had on July 16, directed the Minister of Overseas Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama and his Aviation counterpart, Hadi Sirika, to evacuate the Nigerians to Abuja instantly.
Sequel to the directive, a chartered Ethiopian Airline had on July 20 conveyed the 155 stranded Nigerians again to Abuja.
The envoy within the 21 minutes video, expressed gratitude to the president for making certain that the stranded followers returned safely to the nation.
Ugba, who mentioned that the Federal Authorities didn’t need the culprits to go free, urged the victims to provide any doc they needed to allow the federal government crackdown the brokers.
“Give us any doc that you’ve in regards to the individuals who deceived you, or the individuals who scammed you, who did you 419 in order that we are able to have them picked up and prosecuted in Nigeria.
“We don’t want them to go free. So, give us any doc you have got that may inform us who these individuals are.
“It isn’t a criminal offense so that you can come and on the finish of the present, you need to return. It isn’t a criminal offense.
“We’re ready for them in Nigeria as a result of the form of behaviour that you just exhibited right here reveals that you’ve character, reveals that you’ve respect for yourselves, and reveals that you’ve respect for Nigeria,” he mentioned.
“However it’s a crime for the one who offered you tickets after which, the second leg of going again you don’t have tickets anymore. So, it isn’t your fault.
“We need to maintain these liable for this horrible behaviour to account for his or her motion in order that subsequent time, they won’t do the identical,” he mentioned.
Ugba mentioned that the nation was happy with the stranded followers to have made out time to cheer the Tremendous Eagles in Russia.
He mentioned that the behaviour of the followers and the Tremendous Eagles had earned Nigeria a lot of mates in Russia. (NAN)
