Ethical Evaluation of Impact of Insecurity on Nigeria Immigration Services and Sustainable Socio-Economic Development

Abstract

The place of Nigeria in global security does not only center on the fact of her position as the most populous country in Africa, but also that Nigeria is strategically located in a region that is a major source of the world’s oil and the notable contribution as key player to peace agenda at both international in the United Nations and successful regional peacekeeping missions. Unfortunately, Nigeria is currently facing serious internal security challenges at various fronts from the Boko Haram insurgency in the north-eastern states of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa; and the Niger Delta militancy and piracy in the south-south geopolitical zone, comprising Bayelsa, Delta and Rivers, the banditry in the north-west and parts of north-central. There are security challenges posed by violent crimes of different types, ethno-religious conflicts, resource-based conflicts, trans-border criminal activities, and election-induced violence. These security challenges are partly as a result of free unchecked migration of people from neighbouring countries due to porous borders. The Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) was created and charged with the responsibility to check travel documents of both migrants and immigrants to ensure visas are issued to the right people, certifying migrants’ identity, issuance of passports down to the process of departure from Nigeria or coming into Nigeria, ensuring that, no traveler carries out any activity that would temper with the security of the citizens. If International migration is not properly checked, it would cultivate negative security threats to the socio-economic development and political stability of Nigeria, the West African sub-region and the entire African continent.