NIS arrests 62 illegal migrants in Ogun, to be deported

By Bisi LAWAL

No fewer than 62 illegal migrants, comprising of 61 Cameroonians and one Burkinabe in the State have been arrested in Ogun State.

The Comptroller, Ogun State Command of Nigeria Immigration Services (NIS), Bosede Olufunmilayo confirmed the arrest while speaking with newsmen in Abeokuta, the State capital.

Olayemisi on Tuesday, said the illegal migrants were picked up around Ibafo and Asese in Obafemi-Owode local government area of the state, after an intelligent report from the Lagos Zonal Command.

She said, “last week, we got a report from our Zonal Command in Lagos, that a Cameroonian was there to obtain Nigerian passport but was arrested. He claimed to be living at Ibafo. He later confessed that there are many of them living between Ibafo and Sagamu. So, our men swung into action, they discovered the lounge they were staying and arrested 33 of them in Ibafo. Two days later, we got wind that some of them usually meet at Asese, Mowe area and brought another 28 Cameroonians and one Burkinabe.

“They kept mentioning of one Terrace, a Cameroonian and Peter, a Nigerian who is at the centre of this illicit act. We have detained two Nigerians to help with the investigation. We are already making preparations to return them to their countries because they are illegal migrants, they entered Nigeria illegally and they have to go back to their countries. No doubt, they constitute security threat in the country”.

The Comptroller however raised alarm over the activities of ‘QNet’ networking business, saying that the illegal outfit was at the heart of these 62 illegal migrants arrested in the State.

She disclosed that the illegal migrants from Cameroon claimed that they were invited into the country with a promise of getting job, only for the job to be this QNet networking business, which they claimed to have paid as much as N600,000 to register and buy products after which they will now be inviting other people from their country to join the business with the aim of building chain of people to get more money, just as it is with networking business.

She said, unfortunately when they were asked how much they had made from the networking business which they said their parents back home sold their properties to raise the N600,000 they use to register, some of them said they made $30 which is less than N30,000 in six months, some said $20 in two months which is less than N20,000.

He opined that the networking business was nothing but a scam that should be investigated by government.

The Comptroller said “this is a case of smuggling of migrants, they claimed they have come around to do this networking business that they could easily do in their country. They are using the business to defraud, some of them said they pay as much as N600,000 to register for this QNet networking business. I think the government needs to look into this QNet networking business because it’s more of a fraudulent venture than anything.

“They used to lure them to come around that there’s a job, but when these Cameroonians get to Nigeria, they began to invite themselves to join the business. Some said, they have been here for 6, 2 months and two years. They said they made $30, $25 for six months. They are security threat to the country, because if what they are getting from the QNet business cannot sustain them, they can go into vices like armed robbery, kidnapping and the likes”.

She said the illegal migrants would be repatriated back to their countries this week.