Nigerian police arrest 34 Cameroonians and Nigeriens in Benue
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Dailytrust
Nigerian police arrested 34 foreign nationals in Benue State, Nigeria: 16 Cameroonians in Otukpo and 18 Nigeriens in Orokam. Intercepted on 22 October or arrested earlier, they are suspected of illicit activities and are being investigated over their immigration status, Police Commissioner Cletus Nwadiogbu said.
Police in Benue State, central Nigeria, have arrested 34 Cameroonian and Nigerien nationals suspected of illicit activities in two local government areas, according to Commissioner of Police Cletus Nwadiogbu. Sixteen Cameroonians were arrested in Otukpo and 18 Nigeriens in Orokam, in Ogbadigbo Local Government Area, he said on Tuesday while presenting the suspects in Makurdi.
The 16 Cameroonians arrested in Otukpo on 9 October said they intended to settle in the town but could not clearly explain the purpose of their presence. The 18 Nigeriens intercepted in Orokam on 22 October said they were travelling to Ikom, in Cross River State, but did not have the required travel documents, Daily Trust reports.
The suspects are being investigated to establish their immigration status and the circumstances of their entry into Nigeria. They are to be handed over to the Nigeria Immigration Service afterwards, Cletus Nwadiogbu said. The commissioner also recalled that Pakistani nationals had recently been arrested in Otukpo, a series of arrests that has increased concern about the movements of foreign nationals in the town.
The arrests follow several security operations in Nigeria, including the arrest of 11 suspects in Borno by the Nigerian army, announced on 25 October, and the arrest of 10 suspects after a killing and fires, reported on 26 October.
