Immigration arrest 107 illegal migrants in Borno

From Mustapha Isah Kwaru, Maiduguri

The Nigeria Immigration Service in Borno state has arrested 107 illegal migrants who came into the country through illegal routes without valid travel papers.

Comptroller-General of the service in the state, Modu Musa, who disclosed this in Maiduguri yesterday, while parading the immigrants before newsmen, said they were arrested during an exercise last week.

Musa, who maintained that the exercise is a routine job of manning illegal routes by personnel of the service, added that the arrested immigrants were nationals of Chad and Nigeriens.

He noted that the Comptroller-General of the Service is committed towards making the borders more secure which is why the state command was provided with 4×4 wheel drive patrol vehicles.

“This has re-positioned our staff, who have been deployed to strategic locations at various units across the state to carry out our routine job of manning illegal routes as a result of which these 107 illegal immigrants without valid travel documents were arrested” the immigration boss added.

The Comptroller-General advised the neighboring countries to strictly adhere to the entry condition, by ensuring that citizens of their countries wishing to visit Nigeria possess valid travel documents.

He also called on traditional rulers of border communities to assist the Immigration personnel in exposing illegal immigrants who pass through their villages and towns.

Our correspondent gathered that among most of the arrested aliens,12 women were picked up at illegal routes between Borno and Chad while a few of them were arrested in some parts of Maiduguri metropolis, the Borno state capital.