A’Ibom govt. assures NIS of assistance on border security

The Akwa Ibom State Government has assured the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) of its readiness to assist in checking illegal migration and acts of unbridled human trafficking along its vast borders.

The Deputy Governor, Mr Moses Ekpo, gave the assurance on Saturday when the newly posted Comptroller of Immigration Service (CIS) for the state, Mr George Didel, paid him a courtesy visit in Uyo.

According to Ekpo, the trafficking of innocent people of Akwa Ibom out of the state for undignified labour and other criminal purposes are issues of critical concern to the state government.

He also commended the NIS for proactive measures in ensuring that people with ill intentions did not take advantage of the hospitable nature of the people of the state to perpetrate evil.

The deputy governor said that Akwa Ibom government was concerned because the trafficking of its people did not give the state a good image.

“The governor has been very generous and very keen on anything that touches on the fabrics of the lives of the people.

“The issue of illegal migration of the people into servitude, does not give us a good image and does not help the young people who at the end of the day, may be victimised or killed,” Ekpo said.

He also warned the people and residents of the state to avoid all forms of illegal migration and take due advantage of the new ECOWAS travelling documents provided by the NIS for their cross-border trading.

Ekpo called on the NIS to patrol all the waterways in the state to check all forms of criminalities out of Akwa Ibom border areas.

He urged the NIS to avail the people with adequate information to know that besides the International Passport, cross-border movement could still be done within community’s sub region with the use of the new ECOWAS travelling document.

Didel had earlier said that the aim of his visit was to solicit the support and assistance of the state government to enable the state Command of the service to perform its duties effectively.

He said that with the state’s vast coastline, the command was severely hampered in covering the state with just one patrol boat.

Didel also appealed to the state government to assist the service with additional boats and other logistics.

He said that there was a high level of migration and trafficking of people out of the state within the coastline of Akwa Ibom.

Didel said that the ECOWAS travelling card was an innovation by the service to enable people to secure valid entry into countries within the West African sub-region. (NAN)