22,000 Illegal Immigrants Repatriated, Says Moro

Abba Moro, Minister of Interior

Minister of interior, Comrade Abba Moro has said that over 22, 000 illegal aliens have been repatriated from the country since the exercise commenced few months ago to check security threats. Moro said the measure was necessary because it was discovered that some of the activities of insurgents and perpetrators of conflicts had been masterminded by criminals among the illegal immigrants who were repatriated to Niger Republic, Cameroun and Chad. "Just yesterday 18 of such illegal aliens were repatriated from Bauchi state. The only alternative for us is repatriating them since they cannot regularise their stay in the country", he explained

The minister told reporters in Kano Friday that the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) had taken stringent measures towards checking the ugly trend as anyone found without relevant documents would be repatriated.

"We have been able in collaboration with the National Boundary Commission, to establish some number of legal recognised routes in the country", he said, adding that the Federal Government was in the process of acquiring some relevant and appropriate technologies which could be deployed for the purpose of surveillance at the borders.

"We are also in the process of acquiring new operational patrol vehicles to enhance security at the various nation borders".

"We have identified 84 of such legal routes and deployed many personnel especially in the northern flanks where insurgency became very rampant and the tendency to move across the borders is high".