Millions of illegal immigrants in Nigeria face imminent deportation as the Nigeria Immigration Service, NIS, begins the issuance of resident permits to foreigners in the next three months.
Muhammad Babandede, the NIS Comptroller-General broke the news on Sunday, June 16, 2019, during the passing out ceremony of the 44th Superintendent Basic Course for 396 trained officers from the Immigration Training School, Kano.
He said: “In the next three months, the NIS will begin issuance of resident permits to foreign nationals resident in the country and anybody who fails to possess his own before the expiration of the stipulated time faces deportation.
“In the face of serious insecurity facing the country, the only options left for the service is the issuance of permits to all foreign nationals living in the country.
“In the face of global reality coupled with the insurgency and other serious security threats, Nigeria must take all necessary steps in protecting its sovereignty for the citizens to go about their lawful businesses in peace.”
Babandede noted that the NIS had taken serious steps at ensuring that “our borders are protected and Nigeria becomes safer for business and encourage the inflow of foreign direct investments without undermining national security”.
The NIS chief said the service had trained 611 officers in Modern Border Management in Kano alone, adding that it had begun training another batch of 1,000 officers.
He added that the Federal Government had approved the establishment of e-border with the upgrade of passenger clearance system, the installation of MIDAS, establishment of the border patrol to FOB and the current technology building.
Also, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Interior, Georgina Ehuriah said: “The NIS has remained very committed to staff training and discipline. So, I assume that the cadets that are passing out into the officers’ corps of the NIS must have duly paid the prize in character and conduct to be so admitted into the officers’ corps.”
Rasheed Segun Adegoke, the commandant of the Kano Immigration School, said the school witnessed unprecedented development in infrastructure and training of manpower.
He added that the school reintroduced field trip for cadets in line with the new validated curriculum.
Read more at The Nation
