NIS, Comptroller, Niger State Command, Wase calls for collaboration to rid State of illegal aliens

The Nigeria Immigration Service, Niger State Command has appealed to community leaders to collaborate with it in ridding the State of illegal aliens.

Comptroller of the Command, Alhaji Ibrahim Sani Wase made the appeal while interacting with newsmen in Minna, saying that the collaboration would enable the NIS command fish out illegal aliens in the State and help curtail influx of others.

According to him, community leaders, traditional rulers and Local Government Chairmen are critical stakeholders, hence, partnering with them has been the desire of the command.

The Comptroller noted that the Niger State command of the NIS will continue to engage the community leaders in the state on the need for them to synergize with his command towards ensuring the identify illegal alliens in their respective domains.

“The collaboration is important because Niger State is bordering with Benin Republic through Banana in Borgu Local Government”, which according to him, his men were working round the clock to man the borders with intensive patrol.

He said despite the porous nature of some borders in the country, men of the Service were doing all within their duty to ensure the security of the borders, stressing that the NIS will continue to safeguard the influxe of immigrants that sneaks into the country without relevant documents.

Speaking further, the Comptroller told reporters that his Command has within the last one week engaged over70 immigrants on the ongoing E- registration within the State, appealing to those that are yet to register to come to the State Command for their registration.

He observed with dismay the rate at which some immigrants in the State are in possession of some vital security documents such as Nigeria voter cards, National identify cards and other related documents claiming citizenship of Nigeria.

He explained that as an immigrant residing in Nigeria that no matter the length of years, “you stay in Nigeria does not make you citizen of Nigeria,”

He explained, “that it was any of your parents or the children of such immigrants who are born in Nigeria that can claim citizenship through his Nigerian mother or father.”

“Your residing in Nigeria for the length of years does not make you a citizen of Nigeria.

“It is only your children that were given birth by a Nigerian mother or Nigeran father that can claim the citizenship not you.

“So, having those documents does not make you to be a Nigerian. That is the law” he insisted.

He further disclosed that most of the illegal aliens residing in Niger State are all seasonal immigrants who are mostly water vendors and manual workers, stating that during the rainy season they will return back to their respective country.

He said the command has commenced E-registration of illegal aliens residing in the State without permits, appealing to them to avail themselves for the ongoing registration for their easy identification.

He noted that the E-registration was aimed at availing who might have gained entrance through illegal route to come forward for their registration.

He warned illegal aliens in the State to steer clear from any act of criminality that will bring them to face the wrath of law of the land.

He pointed out that the command has a cordial working relationship with other sister agencies in the State, adding that the synergy has been yielding positive results as he disclosed that no any foreigner residing in the State was involved in any capital related crimes so far.

He implored traditional rulers in the State to see themselves as critical stakeholders in the State command of the Service insisting that they should feel free to support the command with vital information on the strange movement of illegal aliens in their midsts to bring them to book.

To the Local Government Chairmen, Wase urged them to extend their support to the Command by ensuring that they monitor the movement of immigrants in their areas.