The Kebbi State Police Command has arrested 165 illegal immigrants from Burkina Faso, Mali, Ivory Coast, Benin Republic, and Niger Republic, all found living in a cramped three-bedroom apartment in the Kuwait area of Birnin Kebbi.
According to the command’s Public Relations Officer, CSP Nafiu Abubakar, the arrests were made following an intelligence report that led detectives from the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) to raid the apartment.
“During the operation, 35 nationals from Burkina Faso, 110 from Ivory Coast, 11 from Benin Republic, five from Niger Republic, and four from Mali were taken into custody,” Abubakar disclosed.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the individuals had entered Nigeria without valid documentation and were allegedly involved in the controversial Qnet Ponzi scheme, raising further concerns about financial fraud.
Following their arrest, the suspects were handed over to the Nigeria Immigration Service, Kebbi State Command, for further action.
Meanwhile, residents of the Kuwait area expressed concerns over illegal immigration and its potential impact on local security, urging authorities to enhance surveillance to prevent similar occurrences.
According to Daily Trust, a resident of the Kuwait area in Birnin Kebbi, Adamu Augie, said many of those arrested had been living in a flat in the neighborhood for several months.
“We don’t know what they do for a living, but we often see them coming and going. It’s also clear they are not Nigerians,” Augie said.
He added that their presence made locals uneasy due to their unfamiliar appearance.
“Some of us reported them to the police. With the current security challenges, you can’t be too careful,” he explained.
Another resident, Abdullahi Umar, confirmed that the police raided the flat after receiving reports from concerned locals.
“The police did a good job. We had no idea who these people were. Their presence was a security risk because they weren’t Nigerians, and no one knew why they were all staying in that flat,” Umar said.