6 Nigerian Tourists Detained in Cape Verde

Six Nigerian Tourists Detained in Cape Verde Over Human Trafficking Allegations: What We Know So Far

A group of six young Nigerian tourists who travelled to Cape Verde for a holiday are currently being held in an immigration deportation facility, facing what many are calling an unfair and deeply distressing situation.

According to reports, the group consisting of David James Udoh, Lily Dada, Oghenero Adaware, Sherifat Abimbola Ogundairo, and Jesutomi Aina were stopped at Sal International Airport shortly after arriving from Senegal. Authorities claimed the tourists didn’t have “enough funds” to sustain themselves during their stay. Without further investigation or due process, they were allegedly labelled as human trafficking suspects. Their phones were seized, and they were held 

This situation might have gone unnoticed if not for their friend @tobiojenike, who called attention to the situation. She took to the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) to call for help and bring attention to the injustice.

Guys please I have an SOS 🚨

My friend and her friends have been detained in Cape Verde. They’re framing them as human traffickers and denying them access to a lawyer and have them locked up. Please who can I speak to? This is URGENT! pic.twitter.com/QokMIOxVfz

— T. (@tobiojenike) April 16, 2025

In her tweet, she explained that the travellers were simply friends on holiday and accused Cape Verdean authorities of profiling and mistreatment. She also revealed that one of them was attacked by a policeman and sustained injuries 

Her advocacy quickly caught fire, causing Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) to intervene. The Chairperson, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, has since issued a public appeal, urging the Cape Verdean government to release the detained individuals and ensure their safety. According to NiDCOM, the Nigerian government is working through diplomatic channels to resolve the matter as swiftly as possible.

The issue has sparked conversations online, not just about wrongful detention but also about the increasing vulnerability of young Nigerian travellers abroad and the unfair way Nigerians get treated. Why should a group of friends travelling for leisure be treated with suspicion and held without fair legal representation? And why is it so easy to slap a damaging allegation like human trafficking on innocent people?