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By Amos Odhe, Yenagoa
Authorities of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) in Bayelsa State have met with leaders of migrant communities in the state over their roles ahead of the general elections in 2023.
Comptroller Sunday James of the NIS, Bayelsa State command, during the meeting with leaders of the Nigerien, Beninoise, Togolese, Ghanaian and Malian communities in the state warned them against possession of valid voters card and involvement in acts capable of disrupting the country’s general elections
Port Harcourt Mundial gathered that the meeting, which was convened by the state command of the NIS, was motivated by the directive from NIS’ comptroller general, Isah Jere Idris, to all state commands and special formations at a meeting held at the Service Headquarters, Abuja.
Isah Jere Idris had ordered state commands of the NIS to upscale surveillance and spot checks on foreign nationals in the country in preparation for the 2023 elections, warning that non-Nigerians should not be allowed to vote and neither are they to be voted for.
Idris also ordered that the foreign nationals are not to be found in possession of voter’s card or other election related materials to safe guard the integrity and sovereignty of the nation.
The NIS, Bayelsa State command, after the meeting with the migrant communities, confirmed that the deliberations were part of its effort to re-educate and sensitise non-Nigerians residing in Bayelsa in line with the directive of the comptroller general of Immigration Service, Isah Jere Idris.
According to the statement from the command’s Public Relations Officer, Superintendent Ebi Cookey, “Apart from the up-scaled proactive surveillance, spot checks and apprehension of already identified irregular migrants in the state at identified flash points and locations where they are being harboured as security guards, cobblers, tailors, peddlers of water in trolleys and Keke riders in Yenagoa and its environs, all the Divisional Immigration Officers (DIOs) have being further directed to engage in surveillance and intelligence gathering and to report back to the command’s comptroller with credible intelligence on the activities of non Nigerians in the eight (8) local councils of Bayelsa.
“In an effort to maximise the impact of the comptroller general’s directive to deliver on the service mandate, as the lead agency in border management and control in Nigeria, strategies to be adopted will be unveiled in our operations on continuous basis from now on as we move towards to 2023 elections and beyond.”
