Ned Nwoko Mentions Who to Blame for Nigerians' Sufferings Abroad
- Senator Ned Nwoko urges the Nigeria Immigration Service and embassies to tighten checks on citizens travelling abroad to curb fake job claims and illegal migration
- The lawmaker blames weak background screening for the rising number of Nigerians stranded, imprisoned, or exploited in foreign countries
- Nwoko calls for stronger cooperation between Nigeria, host nations, and international agencies to protect citizens and uphold the country’s global reputation
Senator Ned Nwoko has called on the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) and the country’s foreign embassies to strengthen their oversight of Nigerians seeking to travel abroad.
He said the move was necessary to curb the rising cases of citizens ending up in foreign prisons or falling victim to dangerous journeys motivated by desperation.

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Nwoko, who represents Delta North and chairs the Senate Committee on Reparations and Repatriation, told the News Agency of Nigeria in Abuja that inadequate background checks and weak embassy engagement have made it easy for unqualified or misguided individuals to travel without scrutiny.
Need for due diligence and accountability
According to him, many Nigerians travel abroad without clear plans, only to become destitute or face arrest in foreign lands. He noted that some leave the country with the mindset of making money “by all means” and end up engaging in illegal or exploitative work.
“The reason many Nigerians end up in foreign prisons lies in the failure of the NIS and most especially the Nigerian embassies not carrying out due diligence on those traveling abroad,” Nwoko said.
He added that migration should not be restricted but should involve proper vetting to safeguard citizens and uphold Nigeria’s image internationally.

Source: UGC
Nwoko explained that the problem could be reduced if immigration officials verified the purpose of each trip, validated employment offers, and communicated with foreign employers or hosts to ensure legitimacy.
Cooperation between Nigeria and host nations
The lawmaker advised that Nigeria’s immigration and diplomatic institutions should work closely with international agencies to track and support citizens abroad. He said embassies should maintain direct contact with Nigerians in their host countries to protect them and prevent exploitation.
“The NIS and the Nigerian embassies must also carry out close monitoring for every citizen abroad through an organised surveillance system,” he stated.
“They must resist access to citizens seeking to travel abroad with fake job proposals.”

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He also warned against embassy officials engaging in racketeering or colluding with unqualified applicants, saying such acts destroy the credibility of the nation’s diplomatic institutions.
Nwoko maintained that freedom of movement should coexist with national integrity, and that every country has the right to ensure that its citizens travel for legitimate reasons.
He added that embassies must emulate developed nations where citizens abroad enjoy protection due to their verified and legitimate engagements.
Meanwhile, the Senate has also urged the federal government to intervene diplomatically to rescue hundreds of Nigerian women and children detained in Libyan prisons.
The resolution followed a motion by Senator Aniekan Etim Bassey, who raised concerns about victims of trafficking and abuse stranded in North Africa.
Nwoko clears air on domestic violence allegations
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Senator Ned Nwoko has given his own account of what transpired between him and his popular actress wife, Regina Daniel, who accused the politician of physically assaulting her in his household.
Nwoko asserted that Daniel is one of his many wives, and none of the others, in his many years of being with them, had ever accused him of violence whatsoever.
He then went on to give a counter account of what was really going on with the beautiful young actress.
Source: Legit.ng