Nigeria Immigration Service recovers 700 voter cards from foreign nationals as elections loom

NIGERIA Immigration Service (Nis) officials have recovered no fewer than 700 voter cards from foreigners living in the country during a clampdown on illegally registered voters in the run-up to next year's elections.

In February next year, Nigeria goes to the polls and amid calls for vigilance to prevent any electoral fraud, the Nis has begun acting, vowing that foreigners would not vote in the elections. Nis comptroller-general Muhammad Babandede, explained that the agency had improved on its capacity to further secure Nigeria's borders ahead of the 2019 elections.

Speaking at the 2018 NIS awards in Abuja, he said:  “We have built the capacity of personnel and improved on structures and contributed to Nigeria’s security and prosperity in many ways. This year, we have retrieved over 700 voter cards from non-Nigerians.

"We will be there during elections to ensure that non-Nigerians don’t participate, we will make sure that they don’t vote and they are not voted for. The approval of the technology building worth N7.1bn by President Muhammadu Buhari will serve all law enforcement agencies where we will share such information online with partners."

Mr Babandede explained that the awards to deserving Nis officers were meant to encourage and motivate them to work harder and deliver on the mandate of the service. He added that his administration would not condone laziness and indiscipline by Nis personnel, noting that a number of officers were sanctioned for misconduct during the year.