Forty-two Nigerians have been received by the Katsina State Command of Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) after they were deported for illegal entry into the Republic of Niger on their way to Europe.
The Nigeria Immigration Service spokesman, Sunday James, disclosed this in a statement on Friday in Abuja.
According to James, the said travellers were deported to Nigeria through the Kongolam Control Post.
The NIS image-maker revealed that the affected Nigerians who are between 18 and 35 years, evaded immigration clearance and crossed the border to enter into the Republic of Niger.
He stressed that a Federal High Court in Katsina had sentenced 12 out of the 42 Nigerians for illegal entry into the Republic of Niger en route Europe.
The Spokesman said:
Justice Hadiza Shagari, while ruling in the judgment, directed that the suspects should either pay N50, 000 fine or be remanded in the correctional centre for three months.
The remaining 30 offenders will soon be docked in court on completion of charges against them.
The Comptroller-General, NIS, Muhammad Babandede, in a reaction to the development, directed that the rest 30 persons be tried without further delay.
Babandede further advised travellers to always present themselves to the immigration officials for examination whenever they were travelling out.
He also advised that those returning to the country should present themselves for checks in line with Section 15 Subsection (1) A and B of Immigration Act 2015.
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Meanwhile, the news of the deportation of these Nigerians has come as a funny development to some other Nigerians who claimed that the Republic of Niger, whose size is not up to half of her West African neighbour, is meting out such action to Nigerians whose country is like a ‘Big Brother.’
In the meantime, some other Nigerians have backed the actions of the Government of Niger saying that it was a breach of their territorial laws. They claimed that if the government of Nigeria made life easier for its citizens, they would not think of risking their lives travelling to Europe en route the desert region.
