Date: 2017-05-21

In their search of greener pastures, 10,000 Nigerians are reported to have died between January and May 2017, while trying to illegally migrate through the Mediterranean Sea and the deserts.

Assistant Comptroller-General of the Nigerian Immigration Service In Charge of Training and Manpower Development, Mr Maroof Giwa, says that 4,900 Nigerians died in the Mediterranean Sea while other lost their lives while going through the deserts in their bid to cross to Europe.

He gave the figures in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital on Friday on the sidelines of an event to stop 'trafficking in persons and smuggling of migrants at various borders.

The NIS says it will also deploy surveillance helicopters to track down citizens using illegal routes to leave the country.

Nigeria has signed a number of agreements and treaties to stop trafficking in persons and smuggling of illegal migrants.