The Nigeria Immigration Service, NIS, has disclosed that some voter cards from certain migrants were recently intercepted and confiscated.
This is coming barely 48 hours after the official kick-off of the 2023 political campaign by political parties.
The Comptroller General of Immigration (CGI), Isah Idris, while meeting with top management staff of the organisation including zonal coordinators, and comptrollers of commands and formations Wednesday in Abuja, warned that “stiff sanctions await any migrant” who attempts to participate in the nation’s electoral process.
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Mr Idris, however, refused to give details of the volumes of the cards confiscated and the identity of the alleged culprits.
But he said his men are committed to ensuring peaceful conduct of the elections by adhering strictly to its statutory responsibility of safeguarding the nation’s border lines.
The meeting was an operational briefing given as part of the preparatory activities for the forthcoming general elections in 2023.
“To this end, I hereby direct that regular meetings with all the migrants’ communities in the country be intensified to sensitise them on the need for them to stay away from participating in the nation’s electoral process for the 2023 general elections.
“Divisional Immigration Officers (DIOs) across the 774 Local Councils in the country have been directed to deepen surveillance and engagements with the migrant communities in their areas to ensure that no migrant gets involved in the elections,” the CGI noted.