The Nigeria Immigration Service, NIS, has arrested 110 illegal immigrants in Enugu State.

Speaking on behalf of the comptroller general of the NIS in the state, Ismaila Bashir, the deputy comptroller in the state, FelixOdika, told journalists on Tuesday in Enugu that the command would repatriate the illegal immigrants to their various countries in due course.

According to him, those to be repatriated include 94 Nigeriens, seven Togolese and two Beninoise.

Odika said that seven others found to be Nigerians were released immediately.

The exercise which he said would be carried out continuously is to rid the state of illegal immigrants as directed by the service headquarters.

He also cautioned residents of the state against harbouring illegal immigrants.

On March 25, 55 illegal aliens were handed over to Immigration for deportation while on 27 of the same month, 102 illegal aliens were handed over for deportation.
Similarly, on April 2, the police handed over 14 illegal aliens to Immigration for deportation.

The Lagos State Police Command on April 16 also handed over another 271 illegal foreigners to the authorities of the NIS for deportation while another 146 aliens are still being screened.

The illegal aliens, mainly from Niger Republic, Chad and Mali, were arrested from different parts of Lagos and had no particular abode, hence they were seen as security threats to the state.

On May 28, 103 illegal immigrants, who entered the country illegally from Niger Republic were repatriated.

Many of the illegal aliens were picked up at some of the Government Reserved Area. GRA, within Kaduna metropolis, where they were employed as security guards, according to the comptroller of the NIS Kaduna State Command, Hamman Yerima.

Concerns have often been raised about Nigeria’s porous borders and occasionally, triumphant announcements have been made by the NIS in its effort to curb the menace, but with each new round of arrests, there appears to be another influx of illegal immigrants.