The government of Akwa Ibom State has expressed concern about the trafficking of Indigenes out of the state for criminal activities or unskilled labour.
Mr. Moses Ekpo, the state’s Deputy Governor, stated this during a courtesy call on him by the newly appointed Comptroller of Immigration, George Didel, in his office at Government House in Uyo.
Mr. Ekpo stated that the state government is ready to collaborate with the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) to combat illegal migration and human trafficking along its borders.
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According to Ekpo, “trafficking of innocent Akwa Ibom people out of the state for unskilled labor and other criminal purposes was a concern to the state government because illegal migration of the people into servitude does not give us a good name to the state and does not help the people who may be victimized or killed.”
He urged indigenous peoples, however, to take advantage of the new Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) travel cards provided by the NIS for cross-border trading and to avoid illegal migration, even as he urged Immigration to educate the public about the new travel document.
Earlier, the state’s Comptroller of Immigration, George Didel, stated that the purpose of his visit was to solicit the government’s support and assistance in enabling the state command to perform its duties effectively in the state.
