The Speaker of the Ogun State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Oludaisi Elemide, has called on the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) in the state to uphold professionalism, integrity and due diligence in discharging its duties, stressing that such commitment is key to building a prosperous and corruption-free nation.
Elemide made the call while receiving the State Comptroller of Immigration, Olufunke Odusote, and her team at the Assembly Complex, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta.
He commended the Service for ensuring speedy and transparent issuance of the Nigerian passport but urged its personnel to continue working with discipline and faithfulness in service to the country.
The Speaker expressed concern over allegations of maltreatment of residents of border communities, particularly those of Egun descent, during passport applications.
He stressed the importance of devising a proper mechanism to distinguish between Nigerian Eguns and their foreign counterparts to prevent foreigners from illegally obtaining Nigerian passports.
Other lawmakers, including Deputy Speaker, Hon. Bolanle Lateefat Ajayi, and Honourables Oluseun Adesanya, Babatunde Tella and Wahab Haruna, also raised concerns about the manner some immigration officers handle residents of border communities, saying such actions often put Nigerians at a disadvantage.
Responding, the Comptroller of Immigration in Ogun, Olufunke Odusote, acknowledged the unique security challenges facing the state as a gateway region.
She disclosed that the Service recently apprehended 103 illegal migrants, mostly from Ghana and Cameroon, some of whom were involved in child trafficking and child labour.
Odusote called for stronger legislative support and public sensitization to address the challenge, adding that the NIS had continued to strengthen inter-agency collaboration to tackle crimes in high-risk border communities across the state.
