By Abubakar Malik
National Identity Management System (NIMS) has said that it was conscious about the antics of foreigners from neighbouring African countries, who claim to be Nigerians to obtain Nigeria’s National Identity Card.
The disclosure by the Niger State Coordinator, Mrs. Mary Peter Makama, is coming on the heels of allegations that some Immigration officers connive with NIMS staff to register foreigners residence in the state as citizens after claiming to be from any choice local government area.
It was however gathered that many foreigners come into Nigeria as almajiri (young beggers), grow up into petty traders and eventually marry one of their own or a Nigerian and thereafter get mixed up with members of their immediate society, using language and religion to their advantage.
A good number of the foreigners, our correspondent gathered have set up businesses including; having choice properties in parts of Minna metropolis, Bureau-de-Change and as well, control large chunk of shops at the Minna ultra-modern market and even dictate who gets what therein.
Their children also grow up to know no other place as their home than claiming to be from Minna, and this our correspondent gathered was becoming of great concern to many Niger State indigenes who see the foreigners as potential threats to security of lives and properties.
“Many foreigners and illegal immigrants engage in menial jobs. They do shoe-shinning, security, some of them sell water while reasonable number of them join bad company and they are the ones that serve as mercenaries whenever there is crisis”, a politician, Malam Aliyu Ibrahim, said.
But in her reaction to the allegations, the state NIMC coordinator, Mrs. Mary Peter Makama, said that there was no truth that her office issues national identity cards to non-Nigerians, who claim to be Nigerian citizens.
Makama, who however, said that she could not rule out possibilities that there could be sabotage because NIMC does not work in isolation but is working hand-in-hand with a number of security agencies in checking illegal migrants due to Nigeria’s porous borders.
“We do encounter foreigners coming for Nigeria’s national identification card. They will claim to be from one local government area, but when we ask them who their grand-father is or to bring a letter from their mai-angwa (village head) they will go and will not want to come back”.
According to her, “Even if they escape with all their tricks, it will be difficult to say you don’t have indigene certificate? And for you to get certificate you must be well known to your mai-angwa, somebody of his status must know you in your locality before we can attend to you.
“They may succeed in forging everything to get what you want, before we issue you the national identity card you must pass through oral interview. We demand among others to know who is your father, mother, village head, so with all these the chances of your escape with the forgery and lies that you are a Nigerian citizen is very slim.”
