3 weeks ago
Delhi Police Detain 7 African Nationals in Overstay Crackdown
Police in Delhi, a big city in India, found some people from other countries who stayed in India longer than their permission allowed.
These people are called overstayers.
The police did a careful search to find them.
They found seven people from Africa — five from Nigeria and two from Ghana.
On August 4, police found four people from Nigeria.
In another search, police found three more people from Nigeria.
The police took all seven people to an office that handles foreigners.
That office said the people must stay in one place while the government checks their paperwork.
One of the people is also in trouble with the law for something that happened back in 2021.
The government is now working to send these people back to their own countries.
Delhi Police detained seven African nationals — five Nigerians and two Ghanaians — over allegedly overstaying in India, though all individually named detainees are described as Nigerians.
Four Nigerian nationals — Osita Nkemen (54), Ngota Cynthia (38), James (25) and Livy Otughana (27) — were detained on August 4 by teams from Pandav Nagar Police Station.
A separate raid in the Smaspur area of Patparganj led to the detention of three more Nigerians: Kelechi Cornelius (32), Okechukwu Solomon (36) and Chukwudi Alison (43).
Ngota Cynthia reportedly had previous criminal involvement in a 2021 Narcotics Control Bureau FIR in Bengaluru with court proceedings pending, while Cornelius and Solomon appeared on official overstay lists.
All seven were produced before the FRRO Delhi, which restricted their movement to Sewa Sadan in Lampur, Narela under the Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025, and deportation proceedings have been initiated.
- Who
- Seven African nationals detained by the Delhi Police (described as five Nigerians and two Ghanaians, although all named detainees are Nigerian nationals).
- What
- An intelligence-based drive to identify foreigners allegedly overstaying in India, resulting in detention, FRRO restriction orders and the initiation of deportation proceedings.
- Where
- New Delhi — detentions took place in the Pandav Nagar and Smaspur (Patparganj) areas, with movement restricted to Sewa Sadan in Lampur, Narela.
- When
- Announced on a Saturday, with four of the detainees having been held on August 4.
- Why
- The foreign nationals' immigration status required verification, and names of some detainees appeared on official lists of overstaying foreign nationals.
Key facts
- Total detained
- 7 African nationals
- Nationalities reported
- Five Nigerians and two Ghanaians (all individually named detainees are Nigerian)
- Detained on August 4
- Four Nigerian nationals
- Police unit involved
- Pandav Nagar Police Station, Delhi Police
- Second raid location
- Smaspur area, Patparganj
- Legal basis
- Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025
- Restriction venue
- Sewa Sadan, Lampur, Narela
- Previous criminal record
- Ngota Cynthia — 2021 Narcotics Control Bureau FIR in Bengaluru, court proceedings pending
Sources
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