Interior Minister probes use of foreign prisoners as construction workers

Interior Minister probes use of foreign prisoners as construction workers

Olaitan Ogundele

The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has ordered an investigation into claims that foreign prisoners are being sent to Nigeria to work for some firms.

The claim was made last week by the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Interior, Adams Oshiomhole, during the ministry’s budget defence at the National Assembly.

Oshiomhole had said it on good authority that prisoners from foreign countries were working in Nigeria as construction workers or expatriates.

He made the claim after Tunji-Ojo had told the lawmakers that the Ministry of Interior raked in N1.19bn from the issuance of expatriate quotas, surpassing its projected revenue.

But Oshiomhole, who said foreigners might have been taking jobs meant for Nigerians, raised the issue of foreign prisoners being allegedly shipped into Nigeria to work as construction workers.

He said, “Your ministry needs to regulate the issuance of the quotas very well as I have it on good authority that prisoners from foreign lands are working in Nigeria as construction workers.

“Many non-Nigerians are in the country, some of them live inside containers. I even believe and dare say that there are foreign prisoners who are working in Nigeria. They were shipped to our country to serve their prison terms.”

Responding to an inquiry from our correspondent on Tuesday, the Special Adviser to the Minister of Interior on Media and Publicity, Babatunde Alao, noted that apart from investigating the claim, the ministry was working on the review of some of its policies for foreigners.

He stated that this would put a rein on the abuses by foreigners.

Alao said, “The matter is being investigated. Beyond investigation, the ministry is working on reviewing its entire visa policy vis-a-vis work permits, residence permits, etc. This will be out soon. This will, naturally, stop all these abuses.”