Seven African Nationals Detained In Delhi For Alleged Overstay

Seven African nationals were detained in Delhi during a police drive to identify foreigners allegedly overstaying in India, officials said on Saturday.

The group included five Nigerians and two Ghanaians, according to police. Teams from Pandav Nagar Police Station first carried out local enquiries and checked records before tracing four foreign nationals on August 4.

They were identified as Osita Nkemen (54), Ngota Cynthia (38), James (25) and Livy Otughana (27). Police said Cynthia had earlier been named in an FIR registered by the Narcotics Control Bureau in Bengaluru in 2021. Court proceedings in that case are still pending.

In a separate operation, police detained three more Nigerian nationals, Kelechi Cornelius (32), Okechukwu Solomon (36) and Chukwudi Alison (43) from the Smaspur area of Patparganj.

Police said the names of Cornelius and Solomon were already on lists of foreign nationals who had allegedly overstayed in India.

The seven were later produced before the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO), Delhi, after the required paperwork was completed.

The FRRO issued orders restricting their movement to Sewa Sadan in Lampur, Narela, pending further proceedings. Sewa Sadan is used as a deportation and restriction centre for foreign nationals in Delhi.

Police said deportation proceedings have begun in coordination with the FRRO. No confirmed report was available on Saturday indicating that any of the seven had already been deported.