NIS uncovers visa violations by foreign nationals in Plateau
By Golok Nanmwa, JOS
The Plateau State Command of the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) has uncovered cases of visa violations involving foreign nationals who remained in the country after the expiration of their temporary work permits.
The Plateau State Comptroller of the NIS, CIS Mary Abang, disclosed this on Thursday during a courtesy visit to Governor Caleb Mutfwang at the New Government House, Little Rayfield, Jos.
Abang said the command had intensified migration enforcement through the profiling, apprehension and repatriation of undocumented foreign nationals, while also expanding intelligence-based surveillance across the state.
She appealed to the state government to assist the command with a permanent headquarters, operational vehicles and motorcycles to enhance patrols, especially in remote communities and mining locations where undocumented migrants are often found.
“We appeal for logistics, particularly motorcycles, to enable our officers to access remote mining areas,” she said.
The comptroller revealed that some foreign nationals entered Plateau State with temporary work permits valid for 30 days but remained illegally in the country for more than a year after their permits expired.
“We have discovered instances where some foreign nationals entered the state on temporary work permits valid for only 30 days but remained illegally for over a year after their permits had expired,” Abang said.
She commended Governor Mutfwang for his support towards security agencies in the state, describing his administration’s policies as beneficial to security operations in Plateau.
Responding, Governor Mutfwang reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to strengthening collaboration with the NIS in the areas of border management, intelligence gathering and internal security.
The governor described the Immigration Service as a critical institution responsible for safeguarding Nigeria’s sovereignty, adding that effective migration management had become increasingly important in tackling transnational crimes and emerging security challenges.
“It is the responsibility of government, through the appropriate agencies, to protect the sovereignty of Nigeria and guarantee the security of lives and property,” he said.
Mutfwang pledged the support of the state government and people of Plateau to enhance the effectiveness of the NIS in carrying out its constitutional mandate.
He stressed the importance of stronger intelligence sharing between the state government and the Immigration Service, particularly at the grassroots level.
The governor urged immigration officers deployed across the 17 local government areas of the state to remain vigilant and work closely with other security agencies to tackle irregular migration and related security threats.
He also assured the command of continued government support to improve its operational capacity and enable officers to discharge their duties more effectively.
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