04 July 2013, Abuja – The Kaduna State Command of the Nigeria Immigration Service has repatriated 1, 224 illegal immigrants in the last six months, the state Controller Alhaji Yarima Hamman, has said.
Hamman said in interview with the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, on Thursday in Kaduna that the figure was higher than those repatriated in the whole of 2012, which was 1, 140.
The controller said the arrests and repatriation followed “mop up operations by the command against illegal immigrants across the state”.
He said most of those arrested were residing in Kaduna North, Kaduna South, Zaria, Sabon Gari, Makarfi, Chikun and Kachia Local Government Areas.
Hamman further said that most of the illegal immigrants were from Niger Republic and had entered Nigeria without valid documents.
He also disclosed that a lot of them were engaged in menial jobs, including security guards in residences, dry cleaning and other services to earn a living.
The controller said 20 new set of illegal immigrants have been arrested at Maigatari, in Kachia local government on Thursday and were being screened to determine their residency status.
Hamman assured that that those found to have entered the country illegally would be immediately repatriated.
*NAN