Vice President Ahmed Afif of Seychelles has officially announced the imposition of extensive travel restrictions on Nigerians intending to visit the West Indian Ocean country. According to Mr. Afif, Seychelles immigration authorities have been directed to grant access only to Nigerians holding diplomatic passports or residential permits. Tourists and prospective immigrants from Nigeria have been indefinitely banned from entering Seychelles, as reported by Seychelles News Agency.

Mr. Afif cited the prevalent involvement of Nigerians in various criminal activities, particularly drug trafficking and online fraud syndicates, as the basis for this decision. He stated, “We have observed a clear connection between these activities and certain individuals from Nigeria. For instance, in the past two weeks, 13 individuals arriving from Nigeria were apprehended while attempting to bring drugs into Seychelles.” He continued, “In one instance, 62 Nigerians claimed to be on holiday but were found using fraudulent credit cards. The affected establishments suffered financial losses, and there is no recourse for them.”

The vice president’s remarks followed a recent social media controversy where some Nigerians alleged being denied visas by Seychelles without valid reasons. Nigeria has faced visa bans from several other countries in recent months, including the United Arab Emirates, which added Nigeria to a list of 17 African nations not welcome in the country.

Although it remains unclear whether Seychelles authorities considered President Bola Tinubu’s alleged involvement in the drug business when implementing the restrictions, Mr. Afif clarified that Seychelles does not have a problem with Nigeria or its people in general. He emphasized that the restrictions were a response to the surge in criminal activities associated with Nigerians. Mr. Afif explained, “We do not have an issue with Nigeria or its citizens, but we cannot tolerate such criminal activities in our country. We have observed other online scams originating from Nigeria, and we have noticed that individuals involved in these scams also travel to Seychelles to carry out their operations.”

Seychelles media reported that a meeting between Seychelles Foreign Minister Sylvestre Radegonde and the Nigerian ambassador had been scheduled to address the situation, although no official comments have been made by the Nigerian foreign ministry at this time.

Source: Peoples Gazette