4th March, 2017
Gov. Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun on Friday, said the state government would assist the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) in tackling the menace of illegal aliens in the state.
Amosun stated this when he received the new Comptroller of Immigration Service, Ogun Command, Mr Oluwatoba Bayeroju, in his office in Abeokuta.
He said that Ogun being the state with most international borders as well as the industrial hub of the nation, it was prone to infiltration of illegal aliens.
He condemned the complicity of some firms in the state which gave leeway to the aliens to evade tax.
“Some of these companies don’t correctly declare the number and status of the foreigners within their organisations in order to evade tax payment.
“In view of this, we will see the possibility of assisting the Immigration Service to have offices in all our local government and local council development areas.
“This will be in addition to the existing ones in our border communities,” the governor said.
He advised the immigration boss to look into ways of providing adequate data, which would capture the number of Nigerians applying for travel passports at the Ogun command.
Amosun explained that the step would facilitate the expansion of the passport issuing process and facilities in the state.
“Again, because of our status as the industrial hub of Nigeria as well as our proximity to Lagos, what you find is that the number of people processing their passports in Ogun Command has risen tremendously.
“It has placed the facilities here under a lot of pressure. I am aware of this challenge because I have personally been to that your office and I know the kind of pressure you go through,” he said.
Earlier, Bayeroju had commended the governor for transforming the landscape of the Gateway state.
“I left this state 25 years ago as a young officer. Now I am back as State Comptroller and I can barely make my way around because the whole place has been transformed,” he said.
Bayeroju said that the challenges facing the command included influx of illegal aliens, need for offices in all local government and local community development areas and inadequate booklets for production of passports.