By Emmanuel Nduka
The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has informed that it officers have intercepted and confiscated Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) from certain migrants.
Comptroller General of Immigration (CGI), Isah Idris, who made this known recently at a meeting with top management staff of the NIS in Abuja, did not give details of the volumes of the cards confiscated and the identity of the alleged culprits.
He further warned that “stiff sanctions await any migrant” who attempts to participate in the nation’s electoral process.
In a statement signed by the spokesman of NIS, Amos Okpu, the CGI was said to have reiterated the “government’s commitment to a free and fair electoral process for the 2023 general elections” and charged concerned men and officers of NIS to upscale surveillance activities in all locations including “Border Crossing Points” to ensure successful elections.
In the aftermath of this development, the NIS said it would shut the doors against the use of migrants from neighbouring countries in next year’s election.
The CGI also directed the activation and deployment of all the migration management and border security assets of the Service to ensure that ineligible persons particularly migrants are not allowed to participate in the nation’s electoral process.
“To this end, I hereby direct that regular meetings with all the migrants’ communities in the country be intensified to sensitise them on the need for them to stay away from participating in the nation’s electoral process for the 2023 general elections.
“Divisional Immigration Officers (DIOs) across the 774 local government councils in the country have been directed to deepen surveillance and engagements with the migrant communities in their areas to ensure that no migrant gets involved in the elections,” he said.
While stressing the Service’s ethical obligation and commitment to maintain political neutrality in the discharge of statutory duties, he said: “As para-military officers, we are prohibited from political partisanship before, during and after the elections. Therefore, the Service is seizing the opportunity to sensitise its personnel through their respective comptrollers on the need for them to remain apolitical before, during and after the elections as members of the Service.”
