January 09, (THEWILL) The Operatives of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Bayelsa State Command, rescued a 12-year-old boy, identified as Tobi Fred, from the Banigbe-Lokossa region of Cotonou, Benin Republic.
During a patrol assignment at the Yenagoa Tollgate, the boy was found wandering at the checkpoint.
The NIS, in a statement issued Sunday, via electronic mail and signed by the State Comptroller General, Sunday James, stated that a minor of age twelve (12) years was found wandering around the checkpoint.
According to the statement, “the boy was brought to the command for proper profiling and possible reunion with his family, the minor, by name Tobi Fred, is from Banigbe-Lokossa region of Cotonou, in Benin Republic.
“Investigation revealed an issue of child abandonment, the underage, who does not understand English apart from his local BENINOISE language had to be helped out by an interpreter in the person of the Assistant Chairman of the BENINOISE Community in Bayelsa Mr Etienne Fred, not related to the subject, the underage was brought into Nigeria by one Philip a BENINOISE who was said to be the uncle of the abandoned child, he is no longer in the country at the time of arrest and press time.”
He said the NIS, Bayelsa Command, has taken up the rehabilitation of the underage who needs medical care and nourishment before handing him over to the BENINOISE Community for return to his parents at Banigbe-Lokossa, Cotonou, Benin Republic.
He said, “The service in preparation for the 2023 election is mopping up irregular Non-Nigerians on the street of Yenagoa, after the major operation flush in September 2022, the service had decided not to relent until the state is rid of irregular migrants.”
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