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Lagos State seeks FG’s help to deport 199 Togolese immigrants

By Wole Oyebade
25 August 2015   |   2:45 am
LAGOS State government yesterday urged the Federal Government to prevail on its agencies to repatriate the 199 illegal immigrants currently camped at the Lagos Emergency Resettlement Centres (ERCs) in Igando, Alimosho Local Government area and Agbowa, Ikorodu back to their country.
Ambode

Ambode

LAGOS State government yesterday urged the Federal Government to prevail on its agencies to repatriate the 199 illegal immigrants currently camped at the Lagos Emergency Resettlement Centres (ERCs) in Igando, Alimosho Local Government area and Agbowa, Ikorodu back to their country.

Secretary to the State government, Tunji Bello, who made the plea yesterday, pointed out that the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Nigerian Immigration Service must take up their statutory responsibilities by repatriating the immigrants.

He said that the state government could no longer continue to accommodate the illegal immigrants due to the enormous pressure put on the ERCs at Igando and Agbowa facilities.

Bello explained that the Togolese nationals were first sighted at Awolowo Road, Ikoyi directly in front of the United Nations Refugees office.

According to him: “Immediately the Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode was informed of their illegal presence at the location, he promptly directed that the relevant state agency should take up responsibility of accommodating them, initially at the Emergency Relief Camp (ERC) in Igando and later at its camp in Agbowa Ikorodu,” he said.

Bello further explained that the governor also directed that the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Nigerian Immigration Services should be notified, saying the directive was immediately carried out.

According to him, the state government realised that these agencies had not taken any step to address the situation because the number of illegal immigrants from Togo had continued to increase by the day.

“As at today, the number of Togolese illegal immigrants has increased from 114 to 199, putting serious pressure on the limited spaces at the two camps,” Bello said.

He pointed out that the Togolese immigrants were expelled from Benin Republic where they had lived for over 10 years.

“They came to Nigeria, Lagos to be precise, and because of the accommodation provided by the state government at its ERCs, those illegal immigrants at the Igando camp started calling others on phone in Benin Republic to come to Nigeria, telling them that they now have a new home. As at the Weekend, another 85 illegal immigrants of same Togolese descent were taken to ERC, Agbowa.

“The state has discovered that many of them smuggle their way through the Nigeria borders,” he said.

Bello warned that the state’s magnanimous hospitality to Nigerian residents and other lawful inhabitants in distress should not be abused or over-stretched as the ERC was built to accommodate Lagosians and Nigerian residents during emergency situations not illegal immigrants.

The state secretary added: “These emergency facilities as at today are seriously pressurised and can no longer accommodate anybody. What becomes of legal residents of the state in case an emergency occurs? God forbid.

“The Nigerian Immigration Service is therefore advised to ensure that the nation’s borders are well manned by not giving room to any form of compromise at all times.”

16 Comments

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  • Author’s gravatar

    Leave the immigrants alone, so long as they are young and ready to work.

    Send them to Aba to clean the streets of Aba, 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, at minimum wage : N18,000 x 200 = N3,600,000.00, a month

    Immigrants are more had working than Nationals

  • Author’s gravatar

    Whatever happened to the ECOWAS protocol on the free movement of persons? Nigeria cannot deport Togolese nationals residing in Nigeria. If they possess the new biometric ECOWAS passports, they are bonafide ECOWAS citizens; they cannot be deported. The government of Lagos must be careful not to do something that will trigger a back-lash.

    • Author’s gravatar

      We are citizens of ECOWAS, it is so funny and hypocritical that a nation like Nigeria that has millions of its citizens living illegally across Africa and the world will be here harassing few poor Togolese, its really pathetic to say the least.

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    Is it these 199 persons that are going to cause overpopulation in a state with 16 million?! What about the ECOWAS protocols that allows free movement of West Africans? Pls the Lagos state govt shd face their real work and leave these hapless refugees alone.

    Are we forgetting that there are millions upon millions of Nigeria in almost every single country in the world????

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    The Governor and all his cabinet must face rath of God if they try any forther move or make any comment about illegal immigrants idn’t know why yoruba people are so selfih to their core tell the so called governor that his brothers and sisters the oruba people are half population of togo and also helds ministerial posts and other strong holds of togolese gervenment offices and the togolese don’t complain, still the same Yoruba are the deep curse of problem other nigerian tribs are having there in togo with the in born deep relentless propaganda in their blood, the Yoruba are the most dangerous tribe you can never be happy to meet in your life pursuits very dangerous than snake.

    • Author’s gravatar

      Donald, you are not cultured. If you have a comment make it. Did Yoruba people take your wife? If you so much love the Togolese go and take them from Ambode and carry them to your village to settle and give them work. You tribalistic idiot. Ecowas convention did not say habour illegal immigrants.

    • Author’s gravatar

      Donald, you should go a little further back to pre-colonial era when Yoruba government was in control of Togo and Benin Republic. But one thing I would like to point out to you is that just like someone said in this forum “if they have ECOWAS international passport for proper documentation that’s fine. but if not, we may be welcoming potential terror into our mist. Mind you Lagos is over populated. Your attack on Yoruba is unfair and bias you should be ashamed of yourself you’re so pathetic. Of course Agbowa Ikorodu is my home town and I don’t have problem for them being there but there should be proper documentation for Crime prevention.

  • Author’s gravatar

    Now Togolese are your problem, you cannot accommodate 199 people? what of thousands and millions of illegal Nigerians scattered all over the world? Please make the right headline news on how to collect your looted millions from Fashola, and leave the poor Africans alone, they are not your problem.

  • Author’s gravatar

    It Is unfortunate, it Is a pity, it is shameful and disgrace that Nigerians are still sleeping even though they go after their normal responsibilities. The whole world today Is United and remain one universe. Last time It was the former Governor that deported some igbos to Onicha, this time Togolaise very soon it will be from Ikeja to Agege, very funny. I think the Governor of Lagos State need to be educated on the meaning of ECOWAS. Here in Europe if you ve resident to one country you can live or stay any Country you wis too live, the only thing you need to do is to change your Address, period. Africans, we need to wake up from our slumber.