The Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), Benue Command, on Monday, returned 18 Cameroonian irregular immigrants living r in Makurdi to their country.
This was made known by the State Comptroller, Mr Jerry Omezi, while addressing newsmen in Makurdi.
He said the Command got an intelligence report that a residence in Makurdi, No. 22, Jonah Jang Crescent, Nyiman, was housing irregular immigrants.
According to Omezi, “The place was identified, our officers were detailed to carry out surveillance there and they identified 18 Cameroonians, who had no travel documents.
“On questioning them, it was discovered that they are here operating a foreign based online marketing company known as Qnet.
“Further investigation revealed that the business was in health care products, jewelries and cosmetics.
“The Head of the online marketing business, Anyi Emmanuel Aberafo, who also had no travel documents, said they invested about 600.000 CFA, an equivalent of N900.000, in the business,”
Omezi explained that the arrested persons were economic immigrants, who had no valid travel documents, hence NIS would not let them stay in Nigeria.
He advised the immigrants to go back and follow the due process of migration, before they could return to the country.
The comptroller said that vehicles were already on ground to convey them to the border, where they would be handed over to the Border Comptroller for repatriation.
Omezi however said that a lady among the group had applied for a refugee status because of the crisis in Cameroon which the UN High Commissioner for refugees (UNHCR), is processing.
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