NIS Sensitises Rivers Residents on Illegal Migration, SmugglingBlessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt

The Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) yesterday, sensitised residents of Rivers State against involvement in illegal migration, smuggling and human trafficking.
The sensitisation exercise which held across boarder states in the country was aimed at stopping incessant illegal migration of Nigerians, and also tackle the issues of dangerous smuggling and trafficking of young persons abroad in disguise for greener pastures.
Speaking during the sensitisation campaign in Port Harcourt, the Comptroller of NIS, Rivers State Command, Yabagi Abdulmajeed, disclosed that the programme was an idea of the Comptroller General of NIS.
He said the mandate is to have the sensitisation campaign carried out in states where there are boarders linking the country to other nations.
Abdulmajeed regretted that people would prefer to endanger their life and future in a bid to be smuggled out of the country, stressing that such action, alleging economy reason has no positive gains.
He said: “The sensitisation programme is a noble idea of the Comptroller General of the Nigerian Immigration Services (NIS).
It came up because the Service is looking at issues that has been going on in most the states in terms of smuggling, illegal migration and trafficking.
“It has become widespread in the country. You and I know how it affects the economy of the country and increase level of criminality, others.
“It is the idea of the federal government to see how this can be curb, then the Service being the major player needs to come in partnership with NAPTIP. We are handling our own state by state.
“We have to sensitise the community, we have to let the community know why supporting trafficking or smuggling of migrants is a very dangerous thing because we know some families even encourage it.
“They release their minor, children for economic reason, but the negative aspect of it is that is going to affect the family and also the society at large.”
Noting that the Command is in collaboration with other security agencies to tackle the menace, Abdulmajeed stressed: “If this had to be taken care of, we had to talk to the family, the parents first.
“This is because some of these people think they are doing the right thing and the parents are encouraging them. But we had to let them know the negative parts of it, what happens to the children after then.

“When we sensitise the people they get to know the negative part. We want to reduce the illegal migration to the bearest minimum and that is why the NIS headquarters has directed that we sensitise the people within our own domain. Is going on all over the country.

“Even though we have the core mandate of taking care of this, but we have been collaborating with other security agencies. That is why even at the border areas we work together with the DSS, Customs, Police, others. So, we work very well, just for the nation.”

Also speaking during the campaign at the popular Rumuwoji Mile 1 Market in Port Harcourt, an Assistant Comptroller at the Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Unit, NIS Headquarters, Abuja, Gift Nzekwe, encouraged residents of Rivers to legally process their documents if they insist in traveling abroad.

She said many persons have lost their organs, monies, etc, while trying to be smuggled out of the country, urging that with education, good skills Nigerians will thrive in the country.

Her words: “This sensitisation is a very important one because the Nigerian Immigration Services is aware that because of the economy situation of the country now, most young people want to “Japa”. Some of them relocate without a well-planned agenda of what they want to do over there, in most occasion they travel illegally.

“We are here to inform them that illegal migration is very dangerous. That if they have formal education, or learn some skills and become good at what they learnt, they can be successful in the country here.

“But for those who really wants to travel out of the country we encourage them to do so in the most legal manner which is to get the passport, go the embassy for their visa, then buy ticket and travel.

“We know that there are some business wicked men that would want to take advantage of the hardship to force people into dangerous root.

“Some of the persons that followed these illegal routes did not survive it: some lost their organs, money and even died in the process of smuggling”.

On her part, Deputy Comptroller, Migration Section, Rivers Command, Faith Onongbu, explained that the sensitisation campaign was held in schools, market places and churches.

“We went to Landmark School Hospitality to sensitise the staff and students of the school on migrant and smuggling. Also, we are visiting the markets and popular churches,” she said.