2019: Immigration service seizes 700 voter cards from foreigners

The Nigeria Immigration Service said on Saturday that it had retrieved more than 700 voter cards from non-Nigerians living in the country.

Comptroller-General of NIS Mr Muhammad Babandede disclosed this at the 2018 NIS award presentation in Abuja.

According to Babandede, the service is fully involved in the election process to ensure that no foreigner voted during the 2019 general elections.

“This year, we have retrieved over 700 voter cards from non-Nigerians.

“We will be there during elections to ensure that non-Nigerians don’t participate.

“We will make sure that they don’t vote and they are not voted for.

“During the election, we will ensure the borders are secured so that nobody can enter the country during the days of election.

“Immigration service has changed for the better.

“We have built the capacity of personnel and improved on structures and contributed to Nigeria’s security and prosperity in many ways,” Babandede said.

He added that such areas included the Ease of Doing Business whereby the service had assisted businessmen to get visas as quickly as possible without hurdles.

“We have trained so many officers. There has never been a time Nigeria Immigration Service has gotten better structures than now.

“The approval of the technology building worth N7.1 billion by President Muhammadu Buhari will serve all law enforcement agencies where we will share such information online with partners.

“I thank President Buhari for approving the unique project for the NIS. That has never been done since inception in 1958.

“We became independent in 1963. Since that time, we have not gotten a centre to coordinate all our operations until this year when the President approved the technology building.

“Julius Berger has already started work on the site. It was launched by the Minister of Interior last week,” Babandede said.

The comptroller-general said that with the support of NIS board, the ‘bad guys’ were punished in 2018.

“We dismissed many officers, retired officers and reduced the rank of officers.

“Today is a day for the good officers,” he said.