The Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Mr Muhammad Babandede, has charged officers and men of the Service to ensure strict enforcement of the new Immigration Regulations 2017.
Babandede gave the charge on Sunday in Abuja at workshop for senior officers of the Service on the implementation of the new immigration law.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Minister of Interior, (retired) Lt.-Gen. Abdulrahman Dambazau had on March 20 launched the newly gazette Immigration Regulations 2017.
The NIS boss said that the workshop was organised to acquaint officers and men of the service on the new law and how to effectively and professionally implement it.
“This workshop is meant to train our officers on the Immigration Act 2015 and the Immigration Regulation 2017 with the aim of understanding and implementing the new law,’’ he said.
He expressed optimism that with the proper implementation of the Immigration Regulations, issues of illegal immigrants and trans-border crimes will soon be nipped in the bud.
Babandede said aside the training there was also need for the deployment of sophisticated equipment, gadgets and border patrol vehicles to strategic locations across the country.
The new Immigration document which replaces the outdated Immigration Act of 1963 empowers the NIS to properly register all foreigners, protect the borders, enhance internal security and attract foreign investors in line with international best practices.
The workshop was attended by senior officers of the NIS, Immigration experts, the academia and the legal advisers from the NIS and Ministry of Interior. (NAN)