It is understood that some of them, who were arrested in Oredo, Ikpoba-Okha, Esan-West and Uhunmwode local government areas, had forced their way into Nigeria from neighbouring countries like Niger Republic, Mali and Chad.
Three officers of the NIS reportedly sustained injuries during the operation when they were attacked by the illegal immigrants.
Speaking to journalists during the screening exercise, the Edo State controller of the Nigerian Immigration Service, Mr. David Adi, said the operation is a mop-up exercise aimed at “nipping in the bud” any possible security threats to the state and the country at large.
We just have to do our work; these people are known as irregular
immigrants, irregular in the sense that they don’t have travel
documents. They also do not have visible means of livelihood. So, if we
don’t ease them out they will constitute serious security threats.”
According to him, the service is doing everything possible to improve the policing of the nation’s land borders.
He said: “There are specific laws that specify how they (immigrants) should come in. Our law says that they should come in with proper travel documents and through approved entry points.
“But the security reports available to us indicated that many of them are in Edo state and they came in through illegal routes.
“If we do not ease them out, they will constitute serious security threats to this country. All of us know the security situation. Some of them claim that they are from Sokoto, Katsina, Jigawa or Kebbi. But we, as professionals, always fish them out.”
It will be recalled that Nigeria recently issued new immigration Regulations with stricter rules for registration of immigrants at Nigeria’s borders in a bid to address the influx of criminals.
The 2017 Immigration Regulations also demands that ECOWAS citizens register with the NIS even though they are exempted from the obligation of obtaining residence permits.
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