The Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), has called on the Traditional and Religious Leaders in the country, to redouble their efforts in educating their subjects properly, on the risks and dangers involved in illegal migration.
The Acting Comptroller General of Immigration, Mrs Caroline Adepoju, made the call at the end of a two-days sensitization programme on the dangers of illegal migration held in Gwagwalada, FCT.
Adepoju said the rate of Illegal migration by some Nigerians, especially the youths has become worrisome as many vibrant youths have died in the process of seeking greener pasture.
The sensitisation kicked-off from the headquarters of the Service to some motor parks and schools in FCT by its officers and was relayed in the three major Nigerian languages and pidgin.
According to her, the Immigration Service had increased intelligence and surveillance on the nation’s borders to address the trend, adding that perpetrators of such act are liable for sever penalties.
She noted that many lives have been lost in Trans- Saharan routes and the Mediterranean sea due to illegal migration and enjoined the public to help in creating awareness among the youths.
“This was why the Nigeria Immigration Service came up with some credible measures to enhance the service’s operations as the agency saddled with the responsibility of checkmating immigration and migration in the country,” she said.
The Deputy Comptroller General of Immigration in charge of Directorate of Migration, Kemi Nandap while sensitizing students, passport seekers and traders urged them to be in the forefront of the campaign against illegal migration.
Nandap, however, noted that lack of adequate sensitisation and knowledge of the consequences in migration has made a lot of people become victims of all sorts of abuse in foreign lands.
Besides, she, said the essence of the sensitization was not to discourage people from traveling but for them to follow the legal way.
“If you come to us we give you your passport, apart from boarder biometric we also give passport for you to travel and you must have the correct papers before they give you passport.
“There are legitimate ways to get out of the country, don’t go and pat money to someone and he carries you to the desert from there he carries to Libya and from Libya to Mali and to the Mediterranean sea.
“Many people die before they get to their destination and some parents don’t even know where their children are because they travelled through the wrong channels,” she said.
Members of the National Union of Road Transport Workers and some Travellers commended the Nigeria Immigration Service for the sensitization and urged them to extend the program to the thirty six states of the federation.
However, they solicited for more action that would curb the trend as well as lead to arrest of intending illegal migrants.
Some of the students who called on the government to urgently address the Japa trend advised youths to acquire skills that would help them realize their dreams as future leaders of the country.
They also solicited for more sensitization especially in the rural areas to help save the Nigerian youths from ills of illegal migration.
