The Federal Government has expressed its readiness to partner with the Indian Government on complete eradication of fake Nigerian passports into India.
The Minister of Interior, Mr Rauf Aregbesola, said this in a statement issued by the Deputy Director of Press and Public Relations in the ministry, Mr Afonja Ajibola, on Sunday in Abuja.
According to him, Aregbesola made this known while taking the Indian High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mr Gangadharan Balasubramanian, in Abuja.
The minister said that Nigeria would ever remain thankful to the Government and people of India for her support to Nigeria during the country’santi-colonial fight that led to independence.
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Aregbesola pledged Nigeria’s full cooperation with India through its Immigration Service to put a stop to the activities of unethical persons and syndicates engaging in fraudulent procurement of fake authorized Nigerian travelling documents to enter India illegally.
He called for collaboration between both governments through provision of useful information and intelligence reports that would help in revealing those involved to get them arrested to face the full weight of the law.
Some arrested sailors caught on a boat, defamed of illegal activity, the minister said the federal governmet would prefer that the judicial process run its course. “
Eventhough I’ll try my best to see if the issue could still be handled on benevolent ground, said the minister.
He said that the federal govermment frowned at all illegalities and would not blink procurement of fake visas by individuals to gain false entry into another country.
Aregbesola, nevertheless, appealed Balasubramanian for specialized helping hand through scholarships and professional courses trainings as part of collaboration co-operation.
This, Aregbesola said, would go a long way in enhancing the performance of its paramilitary agencies like the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC), a public protection corps that responds to exigencies.
He added that the NSCDC also play a correlative function to the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) in maintaining law and order in the country.
In his remarks, the high commissioner who entrusted the cordial relationship being between both countries, promised to explore further areas of co-operation that would further strengthen the bilateral relationship between the duo.
Balasubramanian added that beforehand, seven agencies of government, including the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), were presently undergoing pertinent courses in India as demonstration of cooperation support to Nigeria.
The Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Dr Shuaib Belgore, confided the high commissioner for his visit.
Belgore reiterated the commitment of the ministry towards achieving advanced service and effective service delivery through investment in capacity structure for the ministry’s members of staff and its agencies.
