Nigerian detained while crossing India-Bangladesh border in Tripura

The Border Security Force (BSF) on Sunday detained a Nigerian national while trying to cross the India-Bangladesh border in Tripura with two others who managed to escape, an official said.

"Three Nigerian youths tried to cross over to Bangladesh early Sunday morning at Belonia (in southern Tripura). BSF patrol party detained one 23-year-old Nigerian. Two of his companions managed to escape," BSF official Rabin Taijon told reporters.

The BSF handed over the detainee to the Tripura Police which launched a search operation to nab the other two.

The youth said that they are the members of a Manipur football club team. They have no passports and they came to Tripura from Kolkata en-route to Bangladesh, Taijon said.

Senior police officials are now interrogating the youth.

According to the police, during the last three months ten Nigerian youths were detained by the BSF while trying to cross over to Bangladesh illegally in bordering Belonia sub-division.