The British government has apologized to Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, after he was wrongly detained by an immigration officer who mistook him for someone who had committed crimes impersonating him. The apology was made through a statement released on the Labour Party's website, where the UK government expressed that the unsavoury treatment had been "totally unacceptable." According to the party's campaign council spokesman, Diran Onifade, Obi was detained and questioned for a duplication violation when he arrived at Heathrow Airport in London from Nigeria on Good Friday, April 7, 2023.
The immigration officials were also taken aback at the reaction of the people and were forced to reveal the offense. This offense is high in implication as the impersonator could be committing all kinds of weighty crimes and other dubious acts that would be recorded in Obi's name. Obi was given a detention note and instructed to move aside by the officials while he waited in line for the required airport procedures.
The incident has caused widespread outrage in Nigeria, with many people calling for a full investigation into the matter. The Labour Party has also demanded an explanation from the British government, stating that the incident was a violation of Obi's rights and dignity. The party further called for the British government to take steps to ensure that such incidents do not occur in the future.
However, the British government has apologized to Obi for the wrongful detention and expressed that the Immigration Official's action was "appalling" and "totally unacceptable."