FG Uncovers 1,497 Illegal Migration Routes into Nigeria
Published: 15/Mar/2012
Source: This Day (Abuja)
By Ahamefula Ogbu
In a bid to check the influx of illegal immigrants into the country, the Federal Government Wednesday said it had uncovered 1,479 illegal crossing points, which had prompted government to erect border plazas at the 84 legal border posts across the country.
Government also said henceforth, the location of immigration screening points and plazas would be located in the Nigerian side of such borders to enable the country apply its laws unlike in Benin Republic area where such points were located at the Benin side, which made it impossible to apply Nigerian laws to offenders detected at such points.
Minister of Interior, Mr. Abba Moro, who disclosed this when he alongside his Information counterpart, Mr. Labaran Maku, and Minister of Transport, Senator Idris Umar, briefed State House Correspondents, on the outcome of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting, which was presided over by President Goodluck Jonathan, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, said: “We have recently in conjunction with the national boundaries commission identified 84 routes which travellers to Nigeria use.”
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Speaking further, Maku said as a mark of confidence in the direction the country was progressing, many people from Britain, United States of America, Russia, Lebanon and several other countries had applied to be granted citizenship of Nigeria through naturalisation and citizenship.
Of the 122 which applied, 79 were asking for naturalisation, while 43 were for citizenship. He said the 43 were granted as most of them were through marriage, while those for naturalisation were put on hold for further screening on their persons to ensure that only those who meet the criteria were granted their requests.
The minister said the Ministry of Interior had already screened the application, but said the requirement was that further screening should be conducted on them which the council approved.
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Read further: http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/fg-uncovers-1-497-illegal-migration-routes-into-nigeria/111514