The Controller of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Edo State Command, Martins Moye, has described the rising numbers of irregular migrants flocking into Nigeria as alarming.
Moye expressed his concern at the ongoing 2024 edition of NIS enlightenment campaign against irregular migration, held in Benin City, Edo State.
Speaking during the three-day sensitisation programme themed “Say No to Migrants Smuggling…If You Must Migrate, Migrate Safely, Orderly and Regularly”, the controller said the “rising numbers of irregular migration deems the enlightenment programme necessary”.
One of the facilitators, an Assistant Controller of Immigration from the command’s headquarters in Abuja, David Amanahu, said Edo State was chosen as one of the states for the enlightenment campaign because of its past history on irregular migration.
“The cheering news is that Edo State is no more number one in irregular migration. They have to make sure that Edo drops from number one states with endemic migration,” he said.
Also speaking, another facilitator from the command headquarters, Abuja, Deputy Superintendent of Immigration, Woshak Danladi, while enumerating the dangers of irregular migration, urged officers and men of the command to make it a point of duty to tell the public about the dangers.
He noted that irregular migration, in addition to taking away one’s right to freedom, puts the person at risk of having their organs harvested, which is an abuse of one’s human rights.
The campaign took officers and men of the command to the palace of the Enogie (Duke) of Eyaen, as well as marketplaces, motor parks and major streets.
