Over 6,000 national identification and voter cards have been confiscated in 21 border states, according to the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS).

Isa Jere, controller general of the NIS, stated at a retreat for the service’s top management officials in Abuja on Wednesday that 3,823 identity cards and 2,393 voter cards unlawfully held by migrants were seized and confiscated.

Nasarawa, Kebbi, Sokoto, Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Kogi, Yobe, Kwara, Taraba, Plateau, Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Zamfara, Jigawa, Edo, Bauchi, Niger, and three additional states were named as locations where the documents were intercepted.

Jere was quoted as saying that the cards were taken during ongoing operations to ensure that migrants from neighbouring countries did not vote in the upcoming elections.

He said that the people who did this had been caught and sent back to their own countries in line with the free movement protocol of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

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Jere warned that harsh punishments would be given to immigrants who tried to vote in the country’s elections.

He told everyone who works for immigration to use the upcoming elections to show how well they manage the border and gather information.

He said that anyone caught not doing their job would be treated as a saboteur and punished.

Jere claimed the NIS and, by extension, all other parties involved in the election process were legally obligated to adhere to the provisions of the 2022 electoral act and the 1999 constitution.

“This is why we resolved to hold comptrollers responsible for any failure recorded by their men,” he said.