No fewer than 51 irregular migrants from Mali have been arrested by the Nigerian Immigration Service.
The migrants, according to sources, were arrested at the New Nyanya, Karu local government area of Nasarawa state.
The suburb is close to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The undocumented migrants were between 17 and 25 years old and were arrested at their hideouts, following credible intelligence, according to an NIS source.
Confirming the arrest, the Nigeria Immigration Service Public Relations Officer, Akinsola Akinlabi, said 11 of the irregular migrants are females, while 40 others were males.
He noted that preliminary investigation conducted by the NIS showed that the migrants may have been victims of Trafficking in Person (TIP) and Smuggling of Migrants (SOM), adding that none of them presented any valid travel document or residence permit during interrogation.
Akinlabi said they have been taken into the custody of the Service and are undergoing further profiling and investigation.
