In a bid to ensure that its promise to shut the doors against the use of migrants from neighbouring countries in the forthcoming 2023 general elections is kept, the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has confiscated a total of 6,216 National Identity and Voter Cards from some migrants in 21 border States in the country.
The Comptroller-general of Immigration, Isah Idris Jere, who displayed the bags containing the 3,823 National Identity cards and 2,393 confiscated voters cards unlawfully possessed by migrants, named some of the border States from where the vital documents were intercepted to include; Nasarawa, Kebbi, Sokoto , Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Kogi, Yobe , Kwara, Taraba, Plateau, Lagos, Ogun, Oyo , Zamfara, Jigawa, Edo, Bauchi, Niger, and three others.
He made the revelation on Wednesday at a retreat organised for top management staff of the Service including zonal coordinators and comptrollers of Commands/Formations at the Service headquarters in Abuja where operational briefing was given as part of preparatory activities for the forthcoming 2023 polls.
Jere, who urged his men and officers to see the February 25 and March 11, 2023 elections as an opportunity to showcase their proficiency in border management and intelligence gathering experiences, warned that any officer caught compromising would be considered as a saboteur and would be made to face the wrath of law.
The CG, who warned that stiff sanctions await any migrant who attempts to participate in the nation’s electoral process, said that the arrested culprits had since been returned to their countries in line with ECOWAS recommendation on Free Movement.
He said the 2022 Electoral Law and indeed the 1999 constitution as amended place a legal burden on all stakeholders in the electoral process, especially the NIS, this is why it has resolved to hold Comptrollers responsible for any failure recorded by their men.
The CGI reiterated government’s commitment to a free and fair electoral process for the general elections, and charged heads of commands and formations across the country to upscale surveillance activities in all locations including border crossing points to ensure successful elections.
Idris, while stressing the Service’s ethical obligation and commitment to maintain political neutrality in the discharge of statutory duties, said, “As Para-military officers, we are prohibited from political partisanship before, during and after the elections. Therefore, the service is seizing the opportunity to sensitise all personnel through their respective comptrollers on the need to remain apolitical before, during and after the elections as members of the service.”
He further warned that any infraction or unprofessional conduct before, during and after the elections will attract severe sanctions.
He, therefore, directed the Divisional Immigration Officers (DIOs) across the 774 local government areas in the country to deepen surveillance and engagements with the migrant communities in their areas to ensure that no migrant gets involved in the elections.
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