FG to citizens abroad: We’ll not shield drug peddlers, traffickers
By Idun Maximus
The Federal Government has warned Nigerians in diaspora, against drugs peddling, trafficking, stating that anyone caught would not enjoy the intervention of Nigeria.
Chairman of Nigeria Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Abike Dabiri-Erewa, stated this at the Validation of the Migration Policy yesterday in Abuja.
Dabiri-Erewa said the government would continue to formulate policies and engage other countries to ensure that Nigerians abroad are protected.
She said: “If you are a criminal, you do drugs and engage in trafficking, then of course you will be punished.”
Meanwhile, the Head of Mission International Organisation on Migration, (IOM), Sharon Dimanche, disclosed that Nigeria, in 2023, received $19.5bn as remittances.
“We also see it in the ever-growing volume of remittances, which in 2023, amounted to a staggering USD 19.5 billion — money that sustains families and contributes to the country’s development.
“We will continue to engage diaspora. Nigeria’s commitment in strengthening migration is globally recognized. Nigeria has been leading in the discourse on migration.
“In the past years, Nigeria data has also revealed that Nigeria is not just a country of origin for migrants; it is a key destination and transit hub in a growing number of West Africans.
“These complex dynamics highlight the critical need for comprehensive and forward-thinking migration governance.”
On his part, National Federal Commissioner, National Commission for Refugee, Migrants, Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI), Aliyu Tijani, Ahmed, said Nigeria must move with the tide to strengthen laws and policies on migration.
He said: “Migration is evolving and multifaceted nature continues to sit prominently at the heart of development discussion globally, regionally, and nationally.
“The dynamism of migration shaped by economic shifts, social transformations, conflicts, and major global events demands a responsive, forward-looking, and comprehensive policy framework.
“And as such, we must continue to adopt and strengthen our national strategy to both harness the immense opportunities migration offers and to mitigate the challenges it may present.
“Recognizing these realities, Nigeria took a decisive step in 2015 with the deployment of its first National Migration Policy.
“The National Migration Policy provided a coherent and strategic framework to address the full spectrum of migration issues from labour migration to irregular migrations, trafficking in persons, the protection of refugees, and the plight of internally displaced persons, the IDPs.”
