Improve funding for Nigerian Immigration Service to effectively combat insecurity- Gov. Ortom

By Our reporter

Sept. 9, 2020 – As insecurity heightens in Benue and across Nigeria, Gov. Samuel Ortom has called for more funding, personnel, equipment and training for the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), to effectively combat insecurity.

Ortom made the when he received the Comptroller of the service in Benue, Dr Festus Amareze, in Makurdi.

He said the Immigration service needs more funds to become more competent in tackling security challenges and effective manning of all the nation’s borders.

Ortom said that NIS had, over the years, complemented the state government’s efforts, and commended the service for closely monitoring immigrants coming in, going out, and those staying in the country.

The governor further appealed to the service to ensure that only eligible persons were allowed into the country.

Ortom said most herdsmen living in Nigeria were not Nigerians.

“There are Fulani herdsmen everywhere just like other tribes in the world. There are Fulani indigenes in Benue and in my government.

“NIS should ensure that immigrants do not come into the country to terrorise us like the herders are doing,” Ortom said.

Earlier, Amareze said that immigrants living with expired documents in the state should leave on or before Sept. 15, to avoid deportation.

The NIS official said that the outfit was monitoring activities of immigrants, adding that those with expired documents would be deported.

He said that NIS personnel had intercepted two child traffickers and identified their routes within the last two months.

Amareze said that motorists were being sensitised at the parks as part of measures to check child trafficking.