The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has raised alarm that a lot of “fake marriages’’ are taking place in the country.
Mr Muhammad Babandede, Comptroller General of the agency who revealed this in Abuja on Wednesday stated that male foreigners were mostly involved in the act.
According to him, the aim was to cheat on the conditions for the issuance of residence and work permits to foreigners by the agency.
“We have observed that foreigners, especially men, are trying to beat the system of issuance of residence permits.
“A lot of fake or `arrangee’ marriages are going on, and that would give them permission to stay in this country without much liabilities.
“The advantage is that when you are the spouse of a Nigerian, you have no limitation on the job you will do; you don’t have to pay residence permit fees; it is easier for you to stay.
Babandede said NIS had arrested some culprits.
But he added that the agency has introduced measures to check the abuse.
According to him, this include insisting on six months stay in Nigeria after marriage before an applicant can get residence permit and restricting foreign spouses to jobs for which Nigerians lacked the requisite skills and qualifications among others.