Off the wire
• Nigerian FM warns foreign missions over inflammatory remarks on poll shift  • China to share economic development with countries along maritime Silk Road: expert  • Palace Museum launches app on collections  • Roundup: HK stocks close 0.44 pct higher  • Weather information for Asia-Pacific cities  • Somali leaders call for cease-fire after killings in central region  • Over 6 mln face food crisis in DR Congo: UN official  • Xi celebrates Spring Festival with non-Communist figures  • 12 militants killed in N. Afghan clashes  • Gold price closes down in Hong Kong  
You are here: 　 Home

Nigeria clamps down on illegal immigration ahead of polls

Xinhua, February 12, 2015 Adjust font size:

Nigerian authorities said Thursday they are carrying out a nationwide mop-up operation against irregular migrants across the country ahead of the forthcoming general elections.

Spokesperson for the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) Chukwuemeka Obua said in a statement that 191 Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) have been seized from foreigners as part of efforts to ensure that non-Nigerians do not participate in the general elections.

The service also recovered 57 Temporary Voter Cards (TVCs), 367 old national identity cards and 11 old TVC slips from the foreigners, he added, noting that the service also seized 68 new national identity cards, 10 birth certificates and three NIS registration certificates.

According to him, the service also seized six local government community tax cards from foreigners and two driver's licences belonging to Nigerians.

Other items found in the possession of foreigners include one Nigerian Army Identity Card for occupants in the barracks, one primary school certificate and one data page of the Nigeria Passport, Obua added.

The items were recovered in northern Sokoto, Jigawa and Zamfara states.

National elections, earlier set for Feb. 14 and 28, were rescheduled for March 28 and April 11 following a "strong advisory" and a warning from the National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki, and military chiefs that they could not guarantee security for the polls. Endi