The Nigeria Immigration Service
(NIS) said it arrested 24 illegal
immigrants at Tamaje village in
Sabon-Birni Local Government Area
of Sokoto State.
The NIS Comptroller in Sokoto, Mr
Yunusa Aliyu, made this known when
he presented the suspects to
newsmen in Sokoto on Friday.
Aliyu said the immigrants entered the
country from Niger Republic without
valid travel documents.
He said the suspects were arrested
on Thursday when they were
travelling to Warri, Port Harcourt, and
Onitsha.
``All the 24 suspects, all males of
varying ages, were from different
parts of the neigbhouring Niger
Republic and they were travelling
without any valid travel documents.
``The existing international protocol
does not prohibit the citizens of other
countries from entering other
countries, but it must be done with
valid travel documents,’’ he said.
Aliyu said the suspects would be
repatriated to their country on Friday,
adding that four others with valid
documents had been released.
``Forty three other suspects escaped
from the four buses they were
travelling when they were intercepted
by our officers.
``The Nigerian drivers of the four
buses, which had been impounded by
the service, would also be prosecuted
for aiding and abetting illegal
immigrants,’’ Aliyu said.
The comptroller, who decried the
porosity of Nigeria’s borders,
promised that the NIS would continue
to be diligent in the discharge of its
duties.
``The carrot and stick reward system
is also still in force in the service, to
reward hard work and punish
indolence,’’ Aliyu said.
http://leadership.ng/news/131213/nis-arrests-24-illegal-immigrants-sokoto