A Nigerian woman, identified as @dunchichi on Twitter, has been reportedly sentenced to a one-year jail term by the United Arab Emirates government for a social media post, showing how some Nigerian nationals were illegally detained at Dubai international airport.
Lar on 31st August, posted on Twitter how she was detained together with other Nigerians despite possessing a valid visa.
She wrote, “I’m at Dubai international airport, myself and some other Nigerians with valid visas are being held in a room hours after arriving with no explanation and no information on what we can do. Please help me. There are more than 20 of us, here.
“My sister had to go through immigration to get me released. It was a tedious process. Others are still there and I don’t know their status (sic).
“What happens if you have no family here? Nobody knows what is going on,” she added.
The Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs responded to her tweet with a statement dated September 14, 2022, and signed by Mrs Francisca Omayuli, the ministry’s spokesman.
“The attention of the Federal Government of Nigeria has been drawn to a video on social media, showing purportedly stranded Nigerians, who arrived at the Airport in Dubai, UAE on August 29, 2022, but were denied entry into the country, despite having valid visas.
“The Nigerian Mission in Dubai has clarified that most of the supposedly stranded Nigerians were issued with family visas, only to arrive in Dubai alone without any family member.
“Consequently, they were denied entry and advised to return to their country and apply for the appropriate visas.
“However, those persons allowed entry into the country has their family members in the UAE. While those who claimed their family members were on another flight, were told to wait at the airport, pending their arrival,” the statement added.
Travelling Nigerians were further urged by the ministry to be aware of the UAE government’s new visa policy, which prohibits it from granting tourist visas to anyone under the age of 40, with the exception of those who are asking for family visas.
After the release made its announcement, they reportedly picked up the woman and have been holding her since September 6, 2022.
Meanwhile the social media laws of UAE, according to a website, Dubai OFW, states that “ranting or sharing hate posts could lead to serious punishment in the country.
“Six months jail term and a fine of AED 25,000 await those who use social networks for the purpose of defamation of or offending another person or attacking or invading one’s privacy.
Another section of the law on the website is Article 29 of the country’s law which spoke on the damage to the reputation of the UAE president, Vice President and emirate rulers which attract a fine of AED 1 million fine plus temporary imprisonment.
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