Nigerian authorities have deported a Zimbabwean Bishop due to alleged violations of immigration laws. The Nigeria Immigration Service reported that Eben Nhiwatawi was apprehended on August 24 in the northeastern state of Adamawa for “breaching immigration protocols.”
According to the agency, Nhiwatawi entered Nigeria on August 21 using a tourist visa designated exclusively for tourism purposes.
”However, it was discovered that he was involved in the United Methodist Church leadership election process, which violates the terms and privileges of the tourist visa as outlined in the Nigeria Visa Policy 2024,” the Nigeria Immigration Service stated in a release on Wednesday.
As a result, the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Immigration Service, with ministerial approval, has ordered his immediate repatriation from the country.
The agency emphasised that while it encourages the legal inflow of foreign direct investment and individuals engaging in business and social activities as pivotal agents of economic growth and development, it will not condone any breaches of the country’s Immigration laws.
Nhiwatawi, however, insisted he was detained for his safety and not for visa irregularities.
In an interview with the media on his return to Harare on Aug. 27, the Zimbabwean Bishop said his detention by Nigerian Immigration Service officials was an attempt to protect him from “an agitated factional group within the church.”