NIS@60: Zone A embarks on enlightenment roadshow, addresses ills of ‘Japa’ syndrome

As part of activities to celebrate the Nigeria Immigration Service ( NIS) Diamond Jubilee, the Zonal Headquarters, embarked on an enlightenment campaign as part of strategies to create a trend against illegal migration and other vices

Zonal Coordinator, Zone A, Assistant Comptroller General ( ACG), K.A Sadiq who led the roadshow explained some of the misconceptions of illegal migrations and some of the pitfalls in the aftermath of its failures.

According to him, there is nothing wrong with the ‘japa’ syndrome but it must be done the right way.

He further stated that the fallacy that the streets of other countries are paved with gold is wrong and there is nowhere in the world after you cross any Nigerian border that you will pick money on the streets.

Apart from illegal migration, ACG Sadiq also warned against human trafficking warning that a lot of people are out to make money through child trafficking, organ harvesting and a lot of other negative situations associated with illegal migration

ACG Sadiq who engaged the public at a popular garage close to the Zone said,”We have been hearing stories of ‘Japa’, ‘Japa’,’Japa’, what is this ‘Japa’ all about? There is no sin in somebody trying to travel out of the country but you must have a reason why you have to leave the country. It’s not about someone hiding somewhere and telling your children that once they cross the border, they will start picking money elsewhere, its all lies.”

” But many people because they want to make money out of your children and out of my children, they confuse them to the point of falsifying their documents, some others when they get there they remove their organs and sell them, these happen and it’s not new.”

On the NIS at 60 years, he explained that the NIS used to be part of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) in 1958, before it was extracted on the 1st August, 1963, and was established as the Immigration Department under the Federal Ministry of Internal Affairs by an Act of Parliament, Cap 171, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria.

He rolled out the functions of the services stating that it goes beyond issuance of passport as protecting the territorial integrity of the borders is one as well as halting illegal migration.

Amongst those part of the walk were the National Agency for Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons and other Related Matters ( NAPTIP) as well as the Federal Road Safety Corp ( FRSC)