The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS)

  • Embattled Bobrisky ‘hospitalised’

    Embattled Bobrisky ‘hospitalised’

    Controversial crossdresser, Idris Okuneye alias Bobrisky has allegedly been rushed to the hospital after he complained about pain in his breast.

    Bobrisky was said to have been rushed to Falomo Hospital, Ikoyi, around 2pm from the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID) Alagbon, where the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) handed him to after his arrest at Seme Border on Monday.

    According to online reports, he was in an ambulance with the plate number LND339L.

    He was said to have worn a black gown, covered his face with a shawl and laid down in the ambulance.

    Meanwhile the police have maintained silence over Bobrisky’s matter insisting he has no case with them.

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    Police sources who confirmed he was in their custody, told our Correspondent that his case was with the panel constituted by the National Assembly and not the police.

    Spokesperson for the FCID Alagbon, ASP Ameenah Mayegun did not respond to messages to her phone on the incident.

    Contacted on telephone yesterday afternoon, she said a statement would be issued in that regard but none was at the time of this report.

  • Alleged N676m fraud: EFCC to close case in trial of ex-Minister, others

    ….To call two more witnesses

     

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has said it is about concluding its case in the prosecution of former Minister of Interior, Abbah Moro and three others, being tried in relation to the 2014 botched recruitment exercise of the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), which resulted in the death of many Nigerians.

    Moro is being tried with a former Permanent Secretary in the Interior Ministry, Mrs. Anastasia Daniel-Nwobia‎, an ex-director in the ministry, Felix .O Alayebami and a firm, Drexel Tech Nigeria Limited.

    Read Also:Alleged N676m fraud: EFCC to close case in trial of ex-Minister, others

    The defendants are, in the charge marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/42/2016, accused of defrauding 675, 675 graduate applicants of about N675,675,000 having been made to pay N1000 each as processing fees for 5,000 (five thousand) job openings.

    The four defendants are equally accused of breaching the Public Procurement Act, No. 65 of 2007 in the award of the contract for the organisation of the recruitment test to Drexel Tech Nigeria Ltd.

    When the case came up on Wednesday, lawyer from the prosecuting agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mrs. Elizabeth Alabi announced that the prosecution had called nine witnesses and planned to call two more to close its case.

    Mrs. Alabi told the court that the prosecution would not be able to proceed as planned on Wednesday because its 10th witness, Isah Joshua (an operative of the EFCC) called to inform her that he lost his father late on Tuesday. She sought a fresh date.

    “My Lord, the matter is for the continuation of hearing. However, our prepared witness, Isah Joshua, just called that his father died around 8pm yesterday (Tuesday).

    “So far, we have called nine witnesses. This witness was to be our 10th witness. We just have two more to go. He is an investigative officer. He is coming to tender the statement of the defendants,” Mrs. Alabi said.

    The court also, could not hear a motion by Mrs. Daniel-Nwobia, for the release of her international passport, to enable her travel to the United Kingdom on medical grounds.

    Mrs. Alabi said she was not aware of the motion when Mrs. Daniel-Nwobia’s lawyer, James Odiba informed the court about the motion, and his willingness to move it.

    The trial judge, Justice Nmandi Dimgba noted that the motion was not properly served on the EFCC.

    The judge noted that the motion was served on the commission’s Asset Recovery Management Directorate, as against the Legal Department.

    When the judge sought his view, lawyer to Moro, A. T. Kehinde (SAN) said he was served with the motion, but, noted that the appropriate office to serve the prosecution should be at its Legal Department.

    He suggested that, since a lawyer was in court for the prosecution, the motion should be served on the lawyer and a date taken for its hearing.

    Other lawyers in the case, agreed with the suggestion, following which the judge adjourned to December 4 for continuation of trial.

  • NEMA receives 149 Nigerians from Libya

    The National Emergency Management Agency ( NEMA ) has received 149 Nigerians who voluntarily returned from Libya.

    The returnees arrived the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos. aboard a chartered flight operated by Buraq Airline with registration number 5A-DMG.

    The aircraft landed at about 10:45 p.m. at the Cargo Wing of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.

    The returnees comprised of 107 male adults, 37 female adults including a medical case, four female children and one female infant.

    Mr Abrham Tamrat, the Programme Manager of International Organisation for Migration (IOM), Lagos, handed the returnees over to Alhaji Yakubu Suleiman, the South West Zonal Coordinator of NEMA.

    Suleiman thanked the IOM and the European Union ( EU ) for facilitating the repatriation of the Nigerians who had been stranded en route from Libya to Europe.

    Yakubu admonished the returnees to shun the urge of seeking greener pastures outside the country.

    He said that all nations in the world were facing various challenges as a result of global economic meltdown.

    The coordinator said the Nigerian economy had exited recession due to the ingenuity of the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration, adding that they should join hand in building the country.

    “Nigeria has more than enough resources to cater for our needs but it is left for every one of us to tap from any of these abundant resources,” Suleiman said.

    He assured them that both the Federal and state governments had lots of incentives for their rehabilitation and reintegration to complement the efforts of EU and IOM.

    Also speaking, Tamat said the IOM had assisted over 7,000 Nigerians back from Libya under the voluntary return assistance programme and would continue to assist persons who indicate interest to return.

    The returnees were also received by officials of the Nigerian Immigration Service ( NIS ), the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons ( NAPTIP ), Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria ( FAAN ) and the Nigeria Police.

    The telecommunications company, Airtel, in collaboration with the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Diaspora and Foreign Affairs, also gave the returnees free mobile cellphones and sim cards to facilitate their reintegration.

    NAN

  • 1,295 Nigerians returned from Libya in November – NEMA

    1,295 Nigerians returned from Libya in November – NEMA

    The National Emergency Management Agency ( NEMA ) says a total of 1,295 Nigerians voluntarily returned from Libya in November after being stranded in the volatile North African country enroute Europe.

    The Nigerians returned in various batches between Nov. 6 and Nov. 30 with the assistance of the International Organisation for Migration ( IOM ) and the European Union ( EU ).

    The Director General of the National Emergency Management Agency ( NEMA ), Alhaji Mustapha Maihajja, made the disclosure while receiving a fresh batch of 150 Nigerians who arrived the country on Thursday.

    The returnees were brought back aboard a Boeing 737-800 aircraft with Registration Number: 6A-DMG.

    The aircraft landed at the Cargo Wing of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos at about 9.15pm.

    The returnees comprised of 13 female adults and one teenage girl while the male were 133 adults, two teenage boys and one baby boy.

    They were received on behalf of Maihajja by the South West Zonal coordinator of NEMA, Alhaji Suleiman Yakubu .

    Also on ground to welcome the returnees back home were officials of the Nigerian Immigration Service ( NIS ) , the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons ( NAPTIP ), the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria ( FAAN ) and the Police.

    NAN

    Read Also: NEMA hands over relief materials to flood victims in Enugu

  • 826 Nigerians voluntarily returned from Libya in one month – NEMA

    826 Nigerians voluntarily returned from Libya in one month – NEMA

    The National Emergency Management Agency ( NEMA ) says a total of 826 Nigerians stranded in Libya, enroute Europe, voluntarily returned from the North African country in October.

    The Director General of NEMA, Alhaji Mustapha Maihajja, made the disclosure while receiving a fresh batch of 270 Nigerians who arrived the country on Tuesday.

    Maihajja, represented by the South West Zonal Coordinator of the agency, Alhaji Suleiman Yakubu, said the returnees were assisted back to Nigeria by the International Organisation for Migration ( IOM ) and the European Union ( EU ).

    He said that the fresh batch added to 138 Nigerians earlier brought back on Oct. 3; 257 on Oct. 24 and 161 on Oct. 26 made the total number of returnees in October 826.

    The NEMA boss urged the returnees to contribute their quota to national development, stressing that the quest to build Nigeria required the support of all and sundry.

    NAN reports that the new set of returnees arrived the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos at 7.30pm aboard a Libyan Airline aircraft with registration number 5A-LAU.

    They comprised 216 female adults, 13 teenage girls and five infants, while the male adults were 27, 18 were teenage boys and nine, baby boys.

    Other agencies which received the returnees were the Nigerian Immigration Service ( NIS ), the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons ( NAPTIP ), the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria ( FAAN ) and the Police.

    NAN

  • Another 257 Nigerians return from Libya

    Another 257 Nigerians return from Libya

    The National Emergency Management Agency ( NEMA ) on Tuesday received another 257 Nigerian voluntary returnees flown back from Libya.

    The returnees arrived at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, in a chartered Airbus A330-200 flight with Registration number 5A- LAT at 9.15pm.

    They had been stranded in the course of their failed attempt to cross over to Europe through the volatile North African country.

    The returnees were assisted back to Nigeria by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) while the Italian Government provided the aircraft.

    They were handed over to the Zonal Coordinator of NEMA Southwest, Alhaji Suleiman Yakubu, who received them on behalf of Federal Government.

    The female among the returnees comprised 241 adults, two children and five infants while the male comprised four adults, four teenage boys and one infant.

    Yakubu enjoined the returnees to embrace the change mantra of the federal government.

    He urged them to remain positive and focused on contributing their quota to national development, instead of seeking greener pastures where it doesn’t exist.

    Yakubu noted that they would not be treated as second class citizens in their own country, unlike what they face abroad after migrating illegally.

    He disclosed that the European Union was providing the reintegration assistance, urging them to make use of the initiative and better their lives.

    Other agencies present when Yakubu received the returnees were the Nigerian Immigration Service ( NIS ) , the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons ( NAPTIP ), the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria ( FAAN ) and the Police.

    NAN

  • 121 stranded Nigerians return from Libya

    121 stranded Nigerians return from Libya

    The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) on Wednesday said it had received another batch of 121 stranded Nigerians from Libya.

    The Zonal Coordinator of NEMA, Mr Suleiman Yakubu, received them on behalf of the Federal Government, enjoining them to learn from their unpleasant experiences in the course of their sojourn.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that NEMA had on Aug. 29 received another batch of 139 returnees from Libya.

    NAN reports that the total number of Nigerian returnees brought back from Libya by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) from February, 2017 to date is 2,638.

    Yakubu said the aircraft that transported them arrived the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) at 5:30p.m on Wednesday aboard a chartered Airbus SA320 Nouvelair Flight with Registration number TS-INA.

    According to a statement signed by Mr Ibrahim Farinloye, the South-West Spokesman of NEMA, Yakubu said that the agency received the 121 returnees from the officials of IOM.

    The zonal coordinator explained that on arrival, the profiling of the returnees indicated that there were 60 female adults, one girl, while male adults were 57 with two male children and a male infant.

    “The total returnees are 61 females and 60 males amongst them are two pregnant women and one with medical issues.

    “One of the returnees, Ms Omolara Owoade, who hails from Apomu in Osun, claimed that she spent one year and two months in Libya.

    “Owoade worked as a cleaner in a hospital and when it was time for her to collect her salary, she was accused of stealing and taken to prison from where the IOM came to her rescue.

    “She said N662, 000 was collected from her by a trafficker and vowed that she would get her money back from her trafficker once she returns to Nigeria.

    “Owoade also narrated to NEMA, on her arrival, that many Nigerians are suffering the same fate,” Yakubu said.

    He also explained how Ms Iyabo Abiola from Oyo State narrated how she fell victim to the deceitful talks of the traffickers, who deceived her with a promise of 4,000 dollars per month.

    Yakubu said that Abiola vowed to expose the traffickers, usually called burger, to NAPTIP.

    The NEMA zonal coordinator said that the deportees were also received by officers from the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), the Police and the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN).

  • Justice Ngwuta lied about age, missing passport’ – Witness

    Justice Ngwuta lied about age, missing passport’ – Witness

    A prosecution witness in the trial of Justice Sylvester Ngwuta of the Supreme Court has said the judicial officer lied about his actual age and his report to the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) that the diplomatic passport issue him in 2014 was missing.
    The witness, Tanko Nuhu Kutana, a Forensic Document Analysis expert with the NIS, said he investigated the case involving Justice Ngwuta after officials of the Department of State Services (DSS) searched his (the judge’s) house and recovered multiple travel passports.
    Led in evidence by lead prosecuting lawyer, Mrs. Olufemi Fatunde, Kutana, who was recalled, having earlier testified as prosecution’s 3rd witness, said while Justice Ngwuta claimed 1951, as his birth year, in one of the four diplomatic passports recovered in his house, he claimed 1952 in the others.
    The witness also said there was doubt as to Justice Ngwuta’ claim that he lost the diplomatic passport issued him in 2014, because there are evidence that he (the judge) continued to use the passport after he reported it missing and a replacement issued to him.
    Kutana said: “My first observation was that the year of birth in the 64-page passport, issued in 2014 (exhibit 13C) had 1951 as the year of birth, while the other three have 1952 as the year of birth.
    “After the 2016 passport was issued for the replacement of the one of 2014 which he claimed to have been lost.
    “There was evidence that he continued to use the 2014 which he claimed was lost, thereby casting doubt about his claim that the 2014 passport was lost.
    “His antecedents of using the passports interchangeably, raise doubt about the claim that he lost the passport.
    “When one also look at him filling 1951 as against 1952 that he had used as his birth date, all these raise doubt about everything, including his claim to the lost of the passport,” the witness said.
    Details later.
  • UK deports 28 Nigerians for immigration offences

    UK deports 28 Nigerians for immigration offences

    The Government of the United Kingdom on Thursday deported 28 Nigerians for committing immigration-related offences in the country.

    The Nigerians were sent back home barely 48 hours after 23 Nigerians were deported from Spain and five days after another batch of 34 were jointly deported by the governments of Switzerland, Germany, Iceland, Austria, Belgium and Hungary.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the fresh batch of deportees arrived at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMlA), Lagos at about 12.13 p.m.

    DSP Joseph Alabi, spokesman of the Lagos Airport Police Command, confirmed the development to NAN.

    Alabi said the deportees, comprising 21 males and seven females, were brought back aboard a chartered Titanic Airways aircraft with registration number : AWC-761/2.

    He said they were received by officers of the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) and the Police.

    Also on ground to receive them were officials of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN).

    NAN gathered that the deportees were profiled by the immigration authorities and were each given a stipend to facilitate their transportation to their respective states.

  • Immigration rescues 134 children from traffickers in Oyo

    Immigration rescues 134 children from traffickers in Oyo

    The Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) in Oyo State says it rescued 134 children, who were victims of child trafficking between and May.

    An Assistant Comptroller at the command, Mr Folusho Akintola, disclosed this while fielding questions from newsmen after a stakeholders’ conference organised by the Justice, Development and Peace Commission in Ibadan on Tuesday.

    The conference was organised to mark the 2017 UN World Day against Child Labour, celebrated annually on June 12.

    The theme was the “Impact of Conflicts and Disasters on Child Labour”.

    Akintola said that of the rescued children, 117 were reunited with their families, and six repatriated, while 38 traffickers and 107 end users were arrested during the period.

    According to him, 11 victims and four traffickers were sent to the National Agency for the Prohibition of Traffic in Persons and other related Matters (NAPTIP).

    Akintola attributed the cause of child trafficking in the country to parental negligence.

    “We all know the evils of child labour and human trafficking. Poor parenting is mostly responsible.

    “Parents negligent led to moral decadence that are common with children nowadays,” he said.

    However, Mrs Omotayo Mala-Adebayo, the Head, Women Development and Child Rights Programme, Ibadan, said that conflicts in the homes were the root cause of child trafficking and labour.

    According to her, conflicts within the home give rise to violation of child rights and child abandonment, which is a form of child trafficking and labour.

    “Child labour and trafficking is not restricted to just poverty; parental separation is a menace we need to eradicate because the resultant effect of that is child abandonment and labour.

    “This exposes children to the twin evil called child trafficking and labour which the end result is exploitation of children, and exploitation of children of children is a gross violation of the rights of children,” she said.

    She therefore appealed to government at all levels to implement the child rights laws to stop menace of child labour and trafficking.

    The Director of JDPC, Rev. Fr. Ezekiel Owoeye, called on parents to take seriously their God-given responsibility to protect and nurture their children in the interest of the future.

    “Roaming the streets, begging and becoming breadwinners of their families are some of the child rights abuse we see in our society today; a great number of children are deprived of their inalienable rights.

    “As a result, our society is at a great risk, we mortgage our future badly if we don’t protect and invest in our children’s future,” he said.