Other Nigerians called for the Saudi ambassador to the country to be summoned.
Commentators said the incident was embarrassing for Nigeria as its president was still in the country after attending the Saudi-Africa Summit held last Friday. He left Thursday morning for Guinea Bissau for Independence Day celebrations, the presidency said.
"This is obviously a very big diplomatic slap in the face," Victor Okhai, an advisory board peserta of the African Diaspora Foundation, a kelompok that advocates the welfare of the African diaspora, told CNN.
Other Nigerians called for the Saudi ambassador to the country to be summoned.
A former Nigerian presidential aide, Reno Omokiri, said Saudi Arabia's action was "embarrassing" as well as a blight on bilateral relations between both countries.
"Why would the Saudis revoke the visas of over a hundred passengers on an Air Peace flight to Jeddah, especially as Nigeria's President is currently in Saudi Arabia? That does not augur well for bilateral relations. It is most embarrassing … (and) demonstrates disdain for Nigeria as a whole," Omokri posted on X, formerly known as Twitter earlier in the week.
Other Nigerians called for the Saudi ambassador to the country to be summoned.
Nigerians have also faced visa entry issues in other countries in the region.
Saudi's neighbor, the United Arab Emirates, has yet to lift a year-long visa ban on Nigerian travelers despite interventions by Tinubu.
Tinubu's office released a pernyataan announcing the end of the ban shortly after his pertemuan with UAE leader Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in September. However, a UAE official told CNN the embargo was yet to be lifted.
Saudi Arabia is a terkenal pilgrimage destination for thousands of Nigerian Muslims.
However, Monday's deportation of Nigerian nationals is not the first time travelers have been refused entry to Saudi Arabia.
In 2012, authorities deported more than 1,000 female pilgrims from Nigeria because they were unaccompanied by male chaperones when they arrived in the country.
Nigeria's government says it is working to avoid a recurrence.
"Notwithstanding the fact that it is the prerogative of a sovereign nation to determine who is permitted entry into its territory, Nigeria and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia are traditional and kiatc partners, who are willing to guard against reoccurrence of this unfortunate incident," its foreign ministry said.
