A group of up to 35 people was due to be deported from the State last night on a specially chartered aircraft in the latest in a series of mass deportations. The aircraft carrying the Nigerian citizens was due to fly from Dublin to Lagos at 11pm.
The group, which included men, women and children, was accompanied on the aircraft by 25 gardaí, many of whom are attached to the Garda National Immigration Bureau.
A number of gardaí have been in Lagos since the weekend preparing the way for the arrival of the group.
Garda sources said assistance would be given to the deportees on arrival in Lagos, including the provision of accommodation while they organised transport to where they lived before travelling to Ireland.
While some gardaí were due to stay in Lagos for some days to complete this work, those on last night's flight were due back in Ireland this morning.
The Irish Times understands that some of those deported last night had been held in a number of prisons on immigration matters. Rosanna Flynn of Residents Against Racism said other Nigerian nationals had been asked to sign on at the Department of Justice in Dublin yesterday but were later informed of their imminent deportation.
Last night's deportations reflected recent patterns in the number of "aged-out minors" being deported, she said. "This is a particularly unfair and very sad position. In school, they are treated very well and looked after until they turn 18, and are suddenly torn away."
One mother, Beatrice Gbadamosi, who has residency in Ireland, said her son had received four deportation letters since turning 18 last year and was yesterday being prepared for deportation.
"I don't know where they took my son. I want to see my son. Nobody has come out to tell me anything. He has been sick and been to the doctor who gave him medication for his chest pains."