The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has disclosed that it has seized 6,216 Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) and National Identity cards from foreigners in 21 border states across the country. This disclosure was made on Wednesday by the Acting Comptroller-General of the NIS, Isa Jere Idris during a retreat with Zonal Coordinators and all Command Comptrollers at NIS Headquarters, Abuja. According to him, 2,393 PVCs and 3,823 National Identity Cards were confiscated from non-Nigerians suspected to be in unlawful possession of such documents.
The states where the documents were seized include Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Bauchi, Edo, Jigawa, Kebbi, Kogi, Kwara, Lagos, Niger, Ogun, Plateau, Taraba, Zamfara, amongst other states.
The NIS boss stated that the items were confiscated during the Service’s ongoing operations to ensure that unapproved migrants, mostly from West African countries did not participate in the upcoming elections, adding that the culprits had been returned to their respective countries in accordance with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) protocol on free movement.
He warned that migrants caught attempting to vote will face strict sanctions and also stated that senior officers of the Service under whose watch lapses or partisanship were observed would also face sanctions.
Idris said, “We all know that we are heading towards elections and the only means you can vote is through the voter card and you can only register for a voter card if you have a national ID card.
So, some non-Nigerians who hold this document may display it at the polling unit and vote. But with our men on the ground and our experiences, that will not happen.
“All the Comptrollers shall be held liable for any lapse or partisanship in any personnel under their watch. You are hereby charged to reorient officers and men to exhibit a high sense of professionalism.
“This is why we resolved to hold Comptrollers responsible for any failure recorded by their men.”