The Nigeria Police have arrested a total of 165 illegal immigrants from various West African countries, including Burkina Faso, Niger Republic, Ivory Coast, Benin Republic, and Mali.
The arrests took place in Kebbi State, where the individuals were found living in a three-bedroom flat located in the Kuwait area of Birnin Kebbi.
Nafiu Abubakar, the spokesperson for the Kebbi State Police Command, confirmed that the immigrants were apprehended following an intelligence tip-off. This led the State Criminal Investigation Department to the location, where the suspects were detained.
Among those arrested, 35 were from Burkina Faso, 110 from Ivory Coast, 11 from Benin Republic, five from Niger Republic, and four from Mali.
Abubakar added that the arrested individuals have been transferred to the Nigerian Immigration Service for further processing.
There are also suspicions that some of them may have been involved in the Qnet Ponzi scheme, although this has not been confirmed.
Local residents expressed concerns about the presence of the immigrants in their area. One resident mentioned that they had noticed the individuals frequently coming and going from the flat and had reported their suspicions to the police. The resident also emphasized the need for caution given the current security situation in the country.
“During the operation, 35 Burkina Faso nationals, 110 from Ivory Coast, 11 from Benin Republic, five from Niger Republic, and four from Mali were taken into custody,” Abubakar said.
A resident said, “We don’t know what they do for a living, but we have been seeing them coming in and out of the flat. We don’t know where they are from, but it’s clear they are not Nigerians.
“Some of us reported their presence to the police. Given the current security situation, you can’t be too cautious,” he added.
