Anger as Immigration warns Nigerians about danger of travelling abroad

The move by the Nigeria Immigration Service to warn against immigration fraud, especially human trafficking as a bait to travel out of the country, has become a source of condemnation.

The NIS has been on the receiving end of Twitter backlash over the post asking Nigerians to “think deeply” before accepting “bogus” offers of a better life abroad, TheCable reports.

On Saturday, the agency shared a post containing a short message to Nigerians via its Twitter handle.

“Hey Guys, you may need to think deeply over that bogus offer of a better life abroad. You may end up in modern day slavery. Not all that glitters is gold,” the message read.

Most Twitter users who commented on the post lambasted the agency, and also lamented the unavailability of passport booklets.

In recent weeks, Many Nigerians have not been able to collect their passport booklets, owing to scarcity — but on Wednesday, Muhammad Babandede, comptroller-general of NIS, said they are now available in centres across the country and overseas.

Hence, when the Twitter post was shared on Saturday, many took out their frustration on the agency.

Some users were not bothered by the message but by the quality of the flyer posted by the agency.

They wondered why the agency could not engage the services of a professional graphic designer.

Here are some reactions:

@General_Oluchi said, “Pay your workers, first then you can lecture us about modern slavery.”

Another reaction from ‘Kolapo ‘Nedu under @Kolanath1 stated, “Where’s your President at the moment? When you’ve done deceiving yourself let us know!”

Akintunde Babatunde, writing under @olorunwababs, said, “The message not only sucks, the graphics was terribly designed. Shame.”

Mazi Ossy using @Obodobuigwe simply said, “Abeg make una issue me my passport biko, since 16th January, haba!”