Nigerian Police

A 26-years old Nigeriene national has been arrested by the Kwara State Command of  the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS)  for allegedly being in possession of voters cards during the  ongoing voter registration exercise in the state.

The arrest in Kwara came on a day the Ondo State Command of NIS said it has arrested  three foreigners who registered in the current exercise. The Comptroller in charge of the command, Mr. Patrick Sessi, who disclosed the arrest of the suspects to journalists in Akure, however said the  people of Ile-Oluji  in Ileoluji/Oke-Igbo Local Government, prevented his men from arresting a Ghanaian lady , Rashidat Abass,  from the community.

Sessi said the men,  a Ghanaian, Ofori Attah; one John Bob who is a Togolese as well as one Daniel Segun from Republic of Benin had already registered and allocated voter cards before they were apprehended by the men of the command. He said the people were sighted in Ile-Oluji, Ondo town, Owo and Ese-Akoko.

It would be recalled that six of such nationals had earlier been arrested and deported in Kano state on Tuesday after they were picked by the officials of the State Command of the Immigration Service .

Comptroller of Immigration in Kwara State, Mr.  Bode Opadiran, who spoke with newsmen in Ilorin yesterday on the voter registration exercise said  the Nigerienne national,  Abdul Mohammed, was caught at Zango  area, Ilorin East Local Government area of the state “having registered and  obtained a voter’s card with the intension of taking part in the forthcoming elections in the country.

According to him, “ It is illegal for foreigners to  participate in the ongoing voter registration exercise because the Nigeria extant law does not permit them to do so”.

The Comptroller said  the culprit’s action was being investigated and he  would be subsequently prosecuted if found guilty.

His words: “To this effect, immigration personnel have been deployed to the  field across the 16 local government areas of the state and the border axis between Nigeria and Benin and are working assiduously to fish out foreigners  that attempt to run afoul of this law”.

He said “This is to inform the general public, stakeholders, leaders of community,  citizens and all foreigners, especially Economic

Community of West African States (ECOWAS) citizens and all African nationals residing across the length and breadth of Kwara state that they are not eligible to partake in the ongoing voters’ registration  exercise or any electoral activity for that matter” He however said  “The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria  as it relates to immigration and citizenship laws forbid their  participation and involvement. This also serves to warn foreigners and their Nigerian collaborators that they should desist from taking part

in the ongoing registration exercise."