Navy Nabs Illegal Immigrants Allegedly Heading for Ekiti to Vote

Yekini Jimoh in Lokoja

Hundreds of illegal immigrants allegedly travelling to Ekiti State to vote in the next week governorship election have been intercepted by the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) in Lokoja, the Kogi State capital.

THISDAY reliably gathered yesterday that they were intercepted at Banda in the state last Tuesday night by the Nigerian Navy.

Sources close to Kogi State Command of the NIS disclosed to THISDAY that the Nigerian Navy arrested them on Tuesday night and then handed them over to the Nigeria Immigration Service wednesday.

The source said some of them confessed during interrogation that they were going to Ekiti State to vote in the forthcoming governorship election as they allegedly displayed their voters’ card.

However, others claimed that they are traders and heading to Okene, where they sell raw food stuffs.
The immigrants who are mainly women, men and children were being conveyed in three different trucks with registration numbers XD 1464 LD, SRZ 148 XA and KMC 514 ZV.

When THISDAY visited the Immigration office, it was gathered that they were under interrogation by the officers.
An officer who spoke with THISDAY, confirmed that some of the suspects disclosed to them that they have been mobilised for the forthcoming Ekiti State governorship election.

When journalists visited the Immigration office, the Public Relations Officer (PRO), Mr. Olasunkami Salami, said they were still profiling the illegal migrants to know where they were coming from and their destination.