TheCable

The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) says it has seized 106 permanent voter cards (PVCs) from foreigners residing in Kwara state.

Aminu Shamsuddin, the state comptroller of NIS, on Monday, said some foreigners were caught in possession of the PVCs during the regular patrol by immigration officers within the Ilorin metropolis.

He said the NIS has sensitised all foreigners on the rules and regulations surrounding the elections and educated them on the punishment that awaits violators.

“During one of the sensitisation talks, the foreigners were scared to hear that anybody caught participating in any way during Nigeria elections would be jailed, repatriated and blacklisted,” he said.

“Some of the foreigners who had Nigerian PVCs willingly dropped their cards and travelled back to their various countries, to return after the whole election exercise.

“Most of the people involved in the act were youths, both males and females, from Niger Republic, Benin Republic and Ghana.

“They claimed that their landlords in their various residents encouraged them to get the PVCs and vote during election so as to increase the number of votes for their various candidates.”

In November 2022, 18 foreigners were arrested over the alleged possession of PVCs in Oyo state.

Isah Dansuleiman, the NIS comptroller in the state, said the foreigners were arrested during a raid carried out in October.