Ona Ekhomu, President of the Association of Industrial Security and Safety Operators of Nigeria, says the Islamic State (IS) could infiltrate Nigeria through returning Libyan Migrants if care is not taken.

Ekhomu said that given the threat of terrorism in the West African sub-region, proper documentation and thorough vetting of the returnees is necessary before they are reintegrated into the society.

“Some of these people may have pledged loyalty to ISIS.  They should be separated from those who migrated for economic reasons,” Ekhomu said.

“There is no way of knowing a Nigerian by face.  It is presumed that most of the returnees do not have travel documents.  So, it is merely assumed that they are Nigerians.

“A questionnaire must be quickly drawn up to enable the returnees to prove their national identities.

“These should include questions about their dates of birth, places of birth, LGAs, names of traditional rulers, primary and secondary schools, ethnicity and native languages.”

Ekhomu further suggested that the returnees should be asked to provide information on how they were able to fund their trip to Libya in the first place. This will enable the authorities ascertain whether they left Nigeria for economic reasons.

“All information provided must be quickly investigated (verified) and each individual cleared to enter society,” he stated.

“Nigeria has too many active killing fields right now and does not need the threat of ISIS infiltration.

“There is a high probability that a few of them may be ISIS fighters escaping from Libya, or coming to Nigeria to execute a possible terrorist plot.”