Comptroller-General of Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Muhammad Babandede, has directed the Comptrollers of 36 states of the federation and Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to strengthen border control and intensify public enlightenment campaign against irregular migration.
A statement issued yesterday in Abuja by the service Public Relations Officer, DCI Sunday James, also directed the Border Patrol Corps (BPC) to intensify patrol along the border flanks while all officers at land, sea and air control post should ensure that all persons entering and departing Nigeria do so with a valid document and through a recognised port.
“In view of the above and as part of the strategy to educate members of the public on the dangers of Smuggling of Migrants (SoM) and Trafficking In Persons (TIP) across all our service windows, the Service has directed the public to be educated on the risk of irregular migration as contained in the recently launched document titled Passport to Safe Migration. “Migrants applying for Passports and those crossing our borders will be given the booklet free of charge as a public enlightenment campaign strategy.”
The statement enjoined the general public to partner with the agency to educate travellers on the risk involved when they migrate in or out of Nigeria irregularly. “We hope this strategy and the effective enforcement of border control will reduce the risk of irregular migration. Nigeria Immigration Service under the ‘ECOWAS/Spanish Fund on Migration’ produced the document.”
