6th March, 2018
The Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Muhammad Babandede, has warned those blaming foreigners for the incessant communal clashes in the country to desist from such unfounded allegations.
Babandede stated this on Tuesday in Makurdi while fielding questions from newsmen.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the comptroller-general was in Benue to commission some projects undertaken by the Service.
He debunked the impression that most communal conflicts in the country were caused by foreigners, saying, ” I am yet to see such proof”.
The Immigration Boss regretted that people were building a culture of hatred around foreigners and pointed out that Nigerians were also resident in other countries.
” In some of these ECOWAS countries, if there are no Nigerians, there will be no banking, transport and other essential aspects of the economy will be grounded.”
He said in as much as the country was against casting negative aspersions on the foreigners, the Service wanted them to come into the country with valid travel documents.
Babandede, however, warned all illegal immigrants in the country that their days were numbered as the Service would ensure their deportation.
He said the NIS would continue to partner with the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) to register eligible Nigerians while working hard to de-register foreigners that had registered as Nigerians.
” We are the agency of government encumbered with the responsibility of determining who is a Nigerian or not; we will work with the relevant authorities to ensure that only Nigerians are registered.”
He said the Service had confiscated 290 voter cards from foreigners and handed them to INEC.
The C-G said the immigration service would ensure that NIMC numbers were available to all security agencies to ensure that only Nigerians were registered as voters.
He assured that efforts were in top gear to strengthen the country’s boarders to prevent illegal entry of foreigners.