Illegal immigrants from Niger caught with Nigerian voter cards

Controller General Nigeria Immigration Service, Mr. David Shikfu Parradang

The Nigerian Immigration Service, NIS, arrested and repatriated 430 illegal immigrants in Jigawa State between January and November 2014, the service said.

The service also said its personnel seized temporary and permanent Nigerian voter cards from nationals of Niger who entered Nigeria illegally.

The Comptroller of the NIS in the Jigawa State, Isa Jere, made the announcement on Saturday in Dutse, the state capital, while parading seven illegal immigrants from Niger and one from Mali.

Mr. Jere said 90 percent of the arrested immigrants were from Niger Republic while others were from Cameroun, Chad and Mali.

According to him, the service has intensified its mop-up operation to get rid of illegal immigrants in the state before the commencement of the 2015 general elections.

“We are committed to repatriating illegal immigrants in our midst because they don’t have right or have any business to participate in our elections” he said.

The comptroller also said that the state’s command had seized 20 voters’ cards from Nigerien immigrants.

He said that 11 out of the 20 were permanent voters’ cards while the remaining were temporary ones.

The NIS chief said that his officers and men were vigilant to prevent foreigners from participating in the forthcoming general elections. [NAN]