The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) says it will install biometrics equipment across all the borders posts in the country, to check the influx of immigrants.
The NIS Acting Comptroller-General, Mr Rilwan Musa, made this know to newsmen in Lagos on Sunday after he visited the management of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN).
Musa said that the country's borders were porous and needed to be fortified through the introduction of biometrics.
He said that some of the biometrics equipment would be placed at the airports, adding that it would give accurate data of individuals for the next 40 years because all information would be in the data bank.
The comptroller-general said that the immigration counters at the airports would be increased to accelerate passengers’ clearance.
He said that Immigration officers would be sent on observation trips outside the country to observe passengers clearing in other airports, saying that there would be changes as soon as that was done.
“We are trying to put biometrics equipment in place. The passengers are expected to be given speedy clearance on arrival after over eight hours flight.
“Our intention is to have these officers on observation trips so that by the time they come back, I believe they will improve on what they are doing,” he said.
On the difficulties associated with issuance of passport to Nigerians, he blamed it on desperate Nigerians who want to travel by all means without obtaining genuine travelling documents.
He, however, stressed that the organisation was working with embassies in the country to fish out criminals with fake documents.
The Managing Director of FAAN, Mr George Uriesi, assured the Immigration chief of the organisation's support toward ensuring “seamless clearance of passengers''.
Uriesi said that FAAN and the NIS had been working tirelessly to provide a conducive travelling environment for passengers.