Prof. Aliyu Shugaba, the Vice Chancellor of University of Maiduguri, has expressed commitment to partner with the Nigerian Immigration Services (NIS) to check the activities of foreign students in the institution.
Shugaba stated this on Friday when he received the Comptroller of NIS in Borno, Mr. Ismaila Mohammed, who was on a familiarisation visit to the university.
He said that the move was imperative as the institution had been battling with some of the students who claimed to be foreign students but had certificate of origin from local governments in Nigeria.
He said: “The authentic foreign students association in the institution have always conducted themselves very well, while those with purported dual citizenship have always been a problem to the institution.
“Foreign students in the university are one of our most difficult problems here. JAMB will always insist that we admit a certain percentage of foreign students.
“To us , our doors are open to foreign students wherever they may come from in the entire world but the ones that we are constantly in touch with here are the Chadians, Nigeriens and Cameroonians.
“These are the ones closer to us. Sometimes we have had students from Mali, Senegal and Ghana.”
According to him, there are some coming from Niger that will tell you they are from Katsina, adding that the institution will relate with the immigration to solve some of these problems.
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“As an institution of learning, our doors are always open to institutions and organisations that are interested in our activities.
“Immigration has been one of the government agencies that is very much interested in sending their staff for studies and a good number of your staff are studying in this institution.
“We encourage other forces like the Nigerian Army to also do same. The DSS are trying as well,” he said.
Earlier in his remarks, Mohammed appealed to the Vice Chancellor to continue to accord priority to his staff who apply for admission in the school.
Mohammed also promised to work closely with the vice chancellor to solve the problem of students claiming dual nationalities at the institution.
“By the laws of Nigeria, only the President and Commander-in-Chief can approve dual citizenship for an individual.
“People can’t just claim to have dual nationalities without undergoing the due process and approval. We will work closely with you to solve some of these problems,” he said. (NAN)
