We need to police 27 illegal routes in C’ River- NIS
Commandant of the Nigerian Immigration Service in Cross River, James Okey, says there is an urgent need to police 27 illegal routes across the state to check influx of illegal immigrants.
Okey, who is newly posted to the state, stated this when he visited Governor Ben Ayade at Government House in Calabar. Responding, Ayade, who was full of appreciation to the NIS for their improvement in service delivery in the state, especially with regard to issuance of passport, promised to donate a gunboat, a land and monthly security subvention to facilitate the NIS’ operations.
He said it was unbeliev
able that a government office can be so efficient and prompt like the NIS passport office in Calabar has become.
The governor said he was deliberately making the promises in order to encourage the service to perform to the optimum and ensure that they help the state curtail the huge number of illegal immigrants that have flooded the state, including the influx of Cameroonian refugees fleeing their country due to the political crisis there.
“I do not have any hesitation in approving of all the demands you have made of me because the passport office in Calabar has made me really proud. The services and issuance of Nigerian passports to applicants are so efficient and fast without the usual drawbacks. I am surprised a government office can be so efficient.
“I have approved of the land you asked for. I have approved the donation of gunboat. I have also approved that monthly security support be extended to NIS.
“I am happy you asked that a new passport office be opened in northern part of the state. I am so glad to give my support for that”, he added.
The governor said there was high level of arm movement and drugs through the 27 illegal routes by criminals and government opponents.
Ayade called for greater collaboration with the NIS as well as visa waiver for foreigners that would be visiting the new Calas Vegas city, which he said would be the most sophisticated in the country.
“We have lot of pressure from influx from Cameroonian refugees in the state. We are profiling them. We are receiving very good response from foreigners in the state in the ongoing E-registration exercise directed by the Comptroller General of NIS.
This will help other security agencies in profiling immigrants in the state. There is need to secure the state. We have deployed our men all over the state. This has helped to reduce the number of illegal immigrants and child trafficking in the state drastically.
“We will sustain the acknowledged service delivery of the Calabar passport office,” the NIS commandant assured.