The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has repatriated 26 illegal migrants arrested and handed over to them by the police in Edo State, last month.
Investigation reveals that the migrants were deported on Wednesday, November 29, three weeks after their arrest.
Sources disclose that authorities of the NIS returned them to their countries through Nfon and Seme borders.
Checks reveal that the undocumented aliens were duly interrogated, screened and profiled by the Nigerian police and Immigration Service while in their facilities.
It could not be ascertained at press time why the NIS decided to repatriate the undocumented aliens after weeks of discreetly looking into their cases.
The 26 irregular migrants comprising 24 Cameroonians and two Burkinabes including nine females were arrested by operatives of Edo State Police Command at Afua village in Uzaure, Etsako West Local Government Area of Edo State on November 9, 2023.
Police spokesman in Edo SP Chidi Nwabuzor paraded the illegal migrants before journalists at the command’s headquarters, Benin City, Friday, November 10, 2023.
He said their arrest followed credible intelligence received by the DPO of Jattu Divisional Police Headquarters.
“Upon interrogation it was discovered that they could not effectively express themselves in English language, the little they could was to identify their own country and that is how we were able to know the numbers from each country.
“They confessed that a certain young man brought them to Nigeria through Cameroon bounder”, SP Nwabuzor said.
However, a man who identified himself simply as Escavator operator said he brought them into Nigeria to join in the escavation contract he got as he is a Nigerian who had lived and worked in Cameroon.
He said six were originally brought by him as they on their own later invited their girlfriends and others.
The police command on completion of its investigation handed the 26 undocumented aliens over to the Nigeria Immigration Service, Edo command headquarters, Ikpoba Hill, Benin City on Monday, November 13, 2023.
When our correspondent visited the NIS state command headquarters it was gathered that the 26 migrants were kept in a special facility of the service as investigation progresses.
It was further scooped that the Comptroller of Immigration in Edo directed that the migrants should be discreetly screened, profiled and documented.
Checks also reveal that NIS investigators revisited Afua village in Uzaure, Etsako West Local Government Area of Edo State where they were arrested and claimed to be working with excavator private firm.
Insider source also disclosed to our correspondent that though the firm was yet to commence operations, the migrants were expected to be issued work permit by NIS if investigation absolved them of constituting security threats to Nigeria.
The spokesman, Nigeria Immigration Service, Edo Command, Mr. Ki Ake or the agency Comptroller in Edo is yet to comment on the migrants’ issue.
