The Lagos State Police Command has shared a surprising account of a Nigerian seeking asylum abroad who requested the police to declare him wanted.
In a recent post, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, the spokesperson for the Lagos State Police Command, expressed his astonishment at the unusual request.
According to Hundeyin, the individual asked to be declared wanted so that he could use it as evidence during an asylum application process.
“‘Please, declare me wanted!’ I was stupefied. I blinked and looked at him again. ‘What did you say?’ I asked.
‘Please, I want you to declare me wanted,’ he repeated.
‘Why do you want to be declared wanted?’ I inquired, amused.
‘Actually, I am applying for asylum at XYZ Embassy. During the interview, I told them that I am being persecuted to the point of being declared wanted by the Police. They now asked for evidence of the ‘wanted’ declaration. I can easily do the artwork, but I know they will come and verify. That is why I want it from the source,’” Hundeyin wrote.
The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) had in December 2023 said no fewer than 260,000 Nigerians approached the IOM for assistance to leave the country in 2023.
Analysts said that the current rise in migration is not unrelated with the living cost crisis Nigeria is going through.