Broadcaster Oseni Rufai and the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, have disagreed publicly over efforts to assist a Nigerian, identified as Ekene, who is reportedly being held at a deportation detention centre in India.
The disagreement, which played out on X, followed Rufai’s allegation that he had provided the commission with Ekene’s contact details and location at the Lampur detention centre in Sewa Sedan, New Delhi, about a week earlier, but that no NIDCOM official had contacted the detainee.
Dabiri-Erewa, however, said she had directed Rufai to forward the details through the commission’s official email channel, assuring him that the appropriate response would follow.
Rufai subsequently said he contacted Ekene, who reportedly told him that he had not received any communication from NIDCOM.
To support his claim that the commission had received the information, the broadcaster shared screenshots which he described as an acknowledgement email from NIDCOM.
He also alleged that Dabiri-Erewa blocked him on X after he questioned the commission’s response to the case.
Responding to the allegation, Dabiri-Erewa confirmed that she had blocked Rufai and other users, attributing the decision to what she described as the increasingly “toxic” nature of the social media platform.
She said she had previously responded to concerns raised through media platforms and had specifically asked Rufai to send Ekene’s details through NIDCOM’s official email address.
“And below is the official response sent to Mr Rufai Oseni when he reached out after I asked him to do so,” Dabiri-Erewa said in a post, adding that further updates on the matter would be communicated through NIDCOM’s official channels.
Rufai, however, disputed the timing of the commission’s response, claiming that the email was sent at 7:59am on Sunday, shortly after he had raised the matter publicly.
He said he had again spoken with Ekene, who allegedly confirmed that he had not received any communication from the commission.
According to Rufai, his immediate objective was to secure Ekene’s release and facilitate his return to Nigeria, adding that a Nigerian donor had offered to assist with the cost of his flight.
“To God be the glory! I have just got off a phone call. A kind Nigerian is willing to help Ekene get back home,” Rufai said.
He added that he would continue advocating for Ekene’s return before drawing attention to the plight of other Nigerians reportedly stranded in India.
Rufai said Ekene’s wife and children were in Nigeria and that the detainee had been seeking assistance to return home from the detention facility.
He further claimed that more than 200 Nigerians remained stranded at the deportation camp in India.
The dispute comes amid an amnesty programme in India which, according to reports referenced in the exchanges, has facilitated the return of more than 4,000 Nigerians since May 2025.
Dabiri-Erewa also referenced the return of Nigerians under the amnesty arrangement while responding to concerns over Nigerians who remain in detention.
Rufai, however, maintained that the immediate priority should be securing assistance for Ekene and other Nigerians still stranded in India.
He appealed to Nigerians willing to assist with Ekene’s return to contact him, saying the immediate need was to raise the funds required for his flight home.
Dabiri-Erewa, meanwhile, said further information on the case would be released through NIDCOM’s official social media handles and email channels.
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