In line with directive of the Federal Government, the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) with workforce at the Land, Air and Sea Border frontiers and hinterland offices are set to effect the lockdown.

In this regard, the agency has however released contact lines to members of the public for emergency services instead of visiting their offices pending the review of the order.

The mobiles numbers released are as follows 07080607900, 08119753844, 08147199908.

Thus the service public relations officer, Deputy Comptroller Sunday James said in a statement on behalf of the Comptroller General of NIS, Muhammad  Babandede, MFR that officers had been positioned to react to emergency services through the mobile lines.

The agency is the first contact with migrants who travels by road through the land border, by air through the airport, by Sea through the seaports stepped-up its.

James said the NIS would effect the “migration management and control measures in line with Federal Government directives on restriction of International Flights into and out of Nigeria and subsequent land border closure to mitigate against human mobility that aids the spread of the covid-19 from person to person.”

He said the directive was in place to contain the increasing the vulnerability ratio, but with the restrictions on human mobility controlled, person to person contact.

Also to reduce either in vehicles used on roads along the borderlines, passengers on-board aircrafts that transverse nation-states either on direct, transit or chartered flights with high risk due to the number on flight and from different countries travelling to different locations.

“Also those by sea travels in numbers on board ships some on direct and others indirect voyage on the sea anchoring at different locations before getting to the final destination or transit country, passengers are in confinement in the ship for a more longer period than the vehicles on land and aircrafts that travels within hours.

 “The ships take months from the country of origin to the transit and destination country thereby increasing vulnerability among travelers with corresponding risk to the people at the destination country.”

James added that: “All the heads of NIS formations that have entry and exit points in the form of Land and Sea borders and the Airports to check human mobility through the various entry and exit points, with the internal lockdown the land lock states that have no borders are to work hand in hand with state governments to ensure compliance alongside with other Security and Response Agencies to control inter-state travelers from spreading the disease among the citizens.

“Efforts are being put in place to reduce person to person contact in our service windows at the Airports, Passport Offices and other operational offices where the general public patronizes the service for one facility or the other for process of travel documents, residency papers, renewals and revalidation of all known Immigration documents for travels, residence and work permits within this period with temporary Suspension measures enforced” he said.

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