The Operatives of Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA), Command in Lagos, has apprehended seven girls allegedly being trafficked to foreign countries.

The Service Public Relations Officer, Mr Sunday James, made the disclosure in a statement on Sunday in Abuja.

James said the girls were on their way to Cairo, Dubai and Oman on Emirates and Egypt airlines.

According to him, three of the girls were on Emirates airline to Dubai while four were aboard Egypt airline to Cairo and Oman.

He commended the NIS Comptroller in charge of the Airport command, Mr Usman Abdullahi, and his officers for doing a good job.

He urged the NIS officials not to relent as the activities of human traffickers and smugglers must be discouraged and halted through aggressive intelligence gathering.

“This would also be done through proactive operations and surveillance mounted to dissuade the organised crime from flourishing,” he added.

The Comptroller General, NIS, Mr Muhammad Babandede, assured Nigerians that the service would not relent in its efforts in keeping a safe border to ensure a safe nation in the pursuit of its statutory mandate.

“NIS has upgraded facilities to checkmate irregular human mobility and will do everything to justify the support and commitment of the Federal Government to making the service a world-class service.

”This would, however, help us to compete with others in the exhibition of best global practices even as the solutions are deployed, the MIDAS , Risk analysis cell, i-24/7 INTERPOL facilities, E-pars, passport and visual control, among others,” he said.

News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the NIS operatives had apprehended nine girls on January 25, who were on their way to Lebanon, Cairo, Dubai and India on Ethiopian, Peace, Egypt and East Airlines. (NAN)