The Nigeria Immigration Service, (NIS) at Lagos airport has in recent times identified and arrested some top facilitators of human traffickers at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, (MMIA), Lagos, BusinessDay’s findings show.
A top official at the NIS disclosed that following the continual record of syndicate trying to traffic young girls out of Nigeria illegally through the Lagos airport, the command has put modalities in place to tackle human trafficking at the airport and ensure the country’s border remains secured.
“Some of the young girls we have caught at the verge of being trafficked are convinced by the syndicates that they would be given a better life but we do our best to educate them on the ills of such an act.
“The command is working with the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) to ensure human trafficking through the Lagos airport remains unsuccessful,” the top official said.
Speaking on current issues around obtaining the visa on arrival, the official said there are no delays or hitches in obtaining visa on arrival as long as the applicants follow the right procedures.
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“Applicants must first apply online and receive a response from NIS showing that the visas are being approved, qualifying them for visas before they can travel down to Nigeria.
“Some applicants apply for visas, requesting that their collection centres should be the embassy, only for them to arrive at the Lagos airport requesting for visa-on-arrival. We can’t issue visas to applicants who didn’t choose Lagos airport as the location for collection.
“In addition, the visa on arrival is supposed to be for business investors. The applicant must have valid travel documents. For instance, a Nigerian with a foreign passport also needs to apply for a visa on arrival to be allowed entry,” the official explained.
She disclosed that the command has recruited more men and women who would be deployed to the new terminal at the Lagos airport after they have completed their ongoing training.
She assured that the terminal would soon be functional and the service is working to ensure the officials that would be deployed to the new terminal are well trained on how to talk to people, how to dress and look smart and exude the right skills, mindset and attitude that befits such a world class facility.
The official stressed that the NIS at Lagos airport has zero tolerance for corruption and anything that would portray the office in bad light, knowing that Lagos airport is a crucial gateway into the country.
She stressed that any official who is exploiting passengers or who goes against the ethics of the profession will face the law.
