Sixty-five Nigerians were on Friday deported from some European countries, an official of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria said in Lagos.

The FAAN official, who pleaded anonymity, revealed this to the News Agency of Nigeria at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport’s cargo section in Lagos.

The source noted that the returnees came from Spain, Bulgaria, Romania and the United Kingdom.

The source said the deportees, who arrived at 7.40am, were made up of 48 males, 12 females and five children.

He explained that they were arrested for allegedly having expired documents and being illegal aliens.

The source said that eight of the deportees, including three females, were deported for alleged criminal offences.

He added that the eight persons were immediately arrested on arrival by policemen and taken to the Criminal Investigation Department, Nigerian Police Force, Alagbon Close, Ikoyi, Lagos, in a Toyota pick-up with registration number “Ontario AZKC-549.”

A NAN correspondent who was at the airport, reported that the five male deportees initially resisted arrest, but were later persuaded to cooperate by the policemen.