By; MIKE ODEH JAMES & MADA IBRAHIM
In recent times, the Nigerian Immigration Service under the current Comptroller General, Isah Idris Jere, has taken a turn for the better.
The paramilitary organization has become more efficient, dedicated, and professional in its approach to national issues, especially in the run-up to the 2023 general election in the country.
One particular aspect in which in which Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) excelled was in curbing the menace that foreigners would have poised to the country during and after election .
Before the coming of the new Comptroller General, Isah Idris Jere, Nigeria was known for numerous cases of foreigners participating in the electoral processes and also involvement in post election violence. These were the cases in the 2011 and 2015 Presidential polls.
However, on assumption of office, the Immigration boss gave directives that each state commands must ensure that all illegal aliens should be fished out while those that posed security threats to the nation’s democratic processes be given particular emphasis .
The Comptroller General did not give directives alone, but committed resources, his integrity and personal efforts and it paid off .
Shortly before the election, in order to prevent aliens from interfering in the country’s electoral process, the Nigeria Immigration Service under Jere seized 6,216 permanent voter and national identity cards from migrants in 21 border states nationwide.
Sources said that 2,393 voter cards and 3,823 National Identity cards were seized from persons believed to be in unlawful possession of the documents.
The states where the items were seized include Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Bauchi, Edo, Jigawa, Kebbi, Kogi, Kwara, Lagos, Nasarawa, Niger, Ogun, Oyo, Plateau, Sokoto, Taraba, Yobe, Zamfara, and three others.
Similarly, in order to reduce the incessant cases of foreigners interfering in Nigeria’s election, the NIS arrested 516 non-Nigerians in Zaria LGA of Kaduna State in the month of February.
Liman Kila, Kaduna NIS comptroller, said the illegal immigrants were from Niger Republic, Togo, Senegal, Cameroon, and Chad.
Days later, the Command struck again with the massive arrest of about one thousand illegal migrants in the same state .
Previously, a sting operation netted over 303 illegal migrants in Uyo and Akwa Ibom.
The Comptroller of Immigration Service, Akwa Ibom State Command, Mrs. Francisca Dakat, explained that out of the 303 apprehended, 285 were adults and 18 were minors.
According to her, the mop-up exercise was in line with the service directives that non-Nigerians should not partake in the forthcoming general elections.
Dakat stressed that before the exercise, the command had carried out a sensitization workshop for all non-Nigerians resident in the state.
She commended the Comptroller General of NIS, the State Government, and other security agencies for their support to ensure the success of the mop-up exercise.
Not done with the general cleanup of illegal aliens in the Northwest and South South of the country, the Service (NIS) also arrested and paraded 32 Chadians and one Togolese in their hideouts in Odeda Local Government Area of Ogun State, South West Nigeria.
The NIS on Saturday paraded the immigrants at its office in Abeokuta, the state capital.
Speaking at the event, the state controller of immigration, Jibrin Yakubu, said the immigrants have no valid travel documents or means of livelihood.
The controller, who described the immigrants as a security threat to the country, said they were arrested when officers stormed two of their hideouts in the local government area of the state .
In Bayelsa, CG Isah Idris Jere sanctioned Operation Saukan Shahu or the Eagle Has Landed which led to the arrest of 44 Nigeriens, 35 togolese, 20 Beninese and 6 Ghanaians.
Sunday James, the state NIS Comptroller , while addressing newsmen in his office in Yenagoa, declared that the operations followed the laid down acceptable ECOWAS protocol and United Nation rules of engagement and respect to Human rights.
He said the operation however led to the proper documentations of illegal migrants and migrants in the state with 89 expired travelled documents renewed by the arrested illegal migrants,” the other illegal immigrants have been guaranteed by their home countries of quick documentations. And the data base of the NIS is more robust from the operation.”
Result of the directives and action from CG Isa Idris Jere has led to the noticeable absence of cases of foreigners in Nigeria’s polling booths in the March 25 Presidential and Parliamentary poll.
Secondly, there haven’t been any case of foreigners caught in the act of violence during the polls as well .
