The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has said that a lot of “fake marriages’’ are taking place between Nigerians and foreigners in the country.
Comptroller General of Immigration, Muhammad Babandede let the cat out of the bag on Wednesday in Abuja, disclosing that male foreigners were mostly involved in the act.
Speaking during an operational review meeting with Zonal Coordinators and State Comptrollers of the service at its national headquarters, Babandede said the fake marriages taking place in Nigeria were arrange-wedding with sinister aim to cheat the conditions for the issuance of residence and work permits to foreigners by the service.
“We have observed that foreigners, especially men, are trying to beat the system of issuance of residence permits.
“A lot of fake or `arrangee’ marriages are going on, and that would give them permission to stay in this country without many liabilities.
“The advantage is that when you are the spouse of a Nigerian, you have no limitation on the job you will do; you don’t have to pay residence permit fees; it is easier for you to stay.
Read Also:
- NDLEA Foils Tapentadol and Tramadol Hard Drugs worth N16.1bn Import and Distribution in Nigeria; As Iran-Bound Cocaine Mule Excretes 76 Wraps at Kano Airport
- CDS At NDA Regimental Dinner Night; Charges Passing-Out Cadets to be Ready for Complex Operational Environment
- Face Governance or Resign; Stop Campaign of Calumny Against Matawalle -:HURIWA tells Zamfara Governor.
“So, we are beginning to face difficulties because many people are becoming married on temporary ground,’’ Babandede said.
The NIS boss said the agency had arrested some culprits, and would tighten the conditions for the issuance of permits to check the abuse.
He said that as part of the measures to check the abuse, the service would henceforth monitor marriages between Nigerians and foreigners in the country.
“We will not allow any person to come for holiday marriage, because we have also observed that people just come on holidays, arrange marriages in Nigeria and go back.
“We will not allow that anymore; you have to stay for a period of six months after marriage before you get our residence permit.
“You have to also enter with permission to stay in Nigeria, so you must come with the residency visa; you can’t come as a tourist and get married,’’ he said.
The Immigration Boss also disclosed that the service was also planning to restrict foreign spouses to jobs for which Nigerians lacked the requisite skills and qualifications.
END
