Nigeria repatriates 62 Mali nationals, begins border facility upgrade
Story by Hamzat Ibrahim
The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Illela Border Command in Sokoto State, has repatriated 62 nationals of the Republic of Mali through the Illela Control Post.
The Controller of the command, Mr Tony Akuneme, disclosed this in a statement issued on Sunday in Abuja. He said the repatriated persons consisted of 51 males and 11 females.
Akuneme explained that the individuals were escorted from the NIS headquarters in Abuja to the Illela border by a team of eight officers led by Inspector Mamoud Sadiq, using two buses. The team reportedly arrived at the control post at about 8:00pm on Friday. News Agency of Nigeria reports.
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“Upon their arrival, I directed the Assistant Controller in charge of Human Resources, Adamu Mshelia, who also doubled as the Officer in Charge of Anti-Smuggling Unit (ANTISOM) to oversee the proper documentation of the repatriated individuals,” he said.
“After due procedures, the irregular migrants were handed over to officers of the Niger Republic Police at the Birnin Konni control post. At Birnin Konni, the migrants underwent another round of screening and documentation before being received by the Commisere, the police chief of the area,” he added.
In a related development, Akuneme announced that construction of new Forward Operating Bases (FOBs), both mega and mini, was ongoing at the Illela control post.
“The construction company has commenced land clearance and demolition of some dilapidated and unserviceable structures,” he said.
He commended the Controller-General of the NIS, Kemi Nandap, for the initiative. “We appreciate the CG for this upgrade, which aligns with her commitment to curbing irregular and prohibited migration across the country,” he added.
Akuneme further assured residents that the security situation in Illela and Tangaza areas remains calm, with military and security personnel maintaining presence to counter threats from Lakurawa bandits.
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