More than 170 Nigerians aboard a trip to Saudi Arabia were turned back on arrival after the Saudi officials apparently abruptly canceled their visas.
According to reports, 264 people who departed from the Nigerian cities of Lagos and Kano had received visas and underwent thorough checks prior to boarding.
However, their visas were apparently revoked while they were in the air.
According to reports, the Saudi officials refused to permit them admission and asked the Nigerian Air Peace plane to repatriate them to Nigeria.
The Saudi authorities have made no remark on the situation.
Affected passengers informed local media that they were astonished to learn of the visa cancellation when they arrived because they had fulfilled all entrance requirements for the Middle Eastern country.
After intervention from the Nigerian embassy, Saudi Arabia is believed to have permitted 87 passengers to enter, but 177 were repatriated to Nigeria on Monday night.
According to Nigerian media sources, the majority of the passengers were on their way to Saudi Arabia to do the lesser Hajj (Umrah), or pilgrimage to the Islamic holy city of Mecca.
