The Comptroller General of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Muhammad Babandede, on Wednesday issued a statement on the bothering increase in sham marriages in Nigeria.
Foreign nationals are engaging in fake marriages with Nigerians, as a means to obtain a resident permit to reside, work, and carry out business activities in Nigeria.
The Immigration boss revealed that it was predominately male folks who were involved in the illicit act.
He went further to say that the NIS is setting up measures to tackle the further occurrence of the sham marriage scheme.
Foreigners who are supposed to go through a longer process and pay specific fees to obtain and further renew their resident permits were engaging in arranged marriages; by doing so, they had unlimited rights as citizens and do not require to pay a fee for resident permit.
Babandede mentioned that some arrest have been made, and the agency are tightening loopholes that easily allowed those who had entered the marriage of convenience get permission to stay in the country.
He said some of the measures put in place to curb fake marriages were; immediate extermination of holiday marriages, foreigners who come to Nigeria will henceforth not be allowed to enter into any marriage.
This means, to get a resident permit, foreigners who get married must reside in Nigeria for a period of six months before being eligible to receive a residence permit.
All marriages between citizens and foreign nationals will henceforth be monitored by the Nigeria Immigration.
To get married in Nigeria, foreigners must hold a valid resident permit before marriage, no marriage will be conducted for foreign nationals holding a tourist visa.
He added that the federal government, through the Ministry of Interior and the Nigeria Immigration Service, is making it a priority, to check and restrict the jobs obtainable by foreign spouses, only positions were Nigerians lacked the appropriate skill and qualification will be available for foreign spouses.
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