President Buhari
President Bongo
From: Diana Okon-Effiong, Calabar
The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) in Calabar on Thursday received more than 455 illegal immigrants repatriated from Gabon to Nigeria on charges that they did not possess valid travelling documents while in Gabon.
Cross River Comptroller of NIS, Mrs Funke Adeuyi, disclosed this to journalists in Calabar.
She said that the illegal immigrants were mainly from Mali, Togo, Senegal, Niger Republic, Guinea Conakry and other African countries.
“This year 2015, this is the second time we are receiving this batch of deportees from Gabon. Precisely, the first batch arrived Calabar on June 23 and they were 590 deportees. For today, we are profiling them and we have more migrant on board the vessel. Conservatively, the number of the migrant is between 455 and 500.These migrant are from different nationals from the ECOWAS sub region,” she said.
She said that the NIS would ensure that the affected immigrants are transported through Nigeria to the nearest land crossing to their countries of origin.
“They are mainly from Mali, Togo, Senegal, Niger Republic, Guinea Conakry and other African countries. The NIS under the present leadership of our Comptroller General, Mr David Parradang, has trained NIS personnel in areas of promoting better migrant management in Nigeria.
“The management is sponsored be the European Development Union and implemented by the international organization for migration. Our officers are well trained, we have the medical team and SEMA on ground and we are collaborating with other security agencies to ensure that we give them a humane treatment and food,” she said.
She said that the migrants were not criminals and thus, deserves a good treatment.
Col. Moustapha Sarr, an attachee from the Senegal Embassy in Nigeria, who came to receive the deported Senegalese, said that over 8,000 Senegalese were residents in Gabon.
Sarr confirmed that the deported Senegalese entered Gabon without valid traveling documents.
He applauded the NIS for receiving the migrants and expressed confidence in the mutual relationship between Nigeria and Senegal.
One of the deportees, Mr Asamoa Pansil, told journalists that he entered Gabon in February this year without valid traveling document.
“I am happy that I was deported from Gabon without any harm. I will now find my route back to my country Ghana,” he said
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