The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has arrested 51 irregular Malian immigrants in the suburb of Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory.
The undocumented migrants were arrested at the New Nyanya, Karu local government area of Nasarawa state, which shares border with the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The Malian irregular migrants were aged between 17 and 25 and were arrested at their hideouts, following a credible intelligence, according to NIS sources.
Speaking on the arrest, the Nigeria Immigration Service Public Relations Officer, Akinsola Akinlabi, said 11 of the irregular migrants were females, while 40 others were males.
He noted that preliminary investigation conducted by the NIS showed that the migrants might have been victims of Trafficking in Person (TIP) and Smuggling of Migrants (SOM), adding that none of them presented any valid travel document or residence permit during interrogation.
Akinlabi said they had been taken into the custody of the Service and were undergoing further profiling and investigation.
