The flight took off from the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos via the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano on Sunday night and landed at King Abdul-Aziz International Airport, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
It however took the intervention of the Nigerian embassy for the Saudi authorities to allow 87 of the passangers into their country, while it insisted that the remaining 177 passengers be returned back to Nigeria
No reason has been given for the action of the Saudi authorities.
The passengers were said to have been duly issued the visa and went through the advanced passenger information system which is accessible to both authorities in Lagos and Jeddah.
This is coming barely two weeks that Air Peace launched a direct flight to Jeddah.
Prior to the commencement of direct flight, Saudia, a Saudi Arabian flag carrier, has been operating directly from Nigeria to Saudi Arabia.
Reacting to the report, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar said the matter would be thoroughly investigated.
Tuggar in a statement by his media aide, Alkasim Abdulkadir, said the government will ensure that no Nigerian passanger is allowed to face such a treatment again.
He said, ” The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is investigating the matter to see if any consular or aviation rules have been flouted.
