Officials of Immigration Service in Ebonyi and the State Emergency Mangement Agency (SEMA) have arrested 49 immigrants in the area.

Mr Jacob Adeyinka, the Comptroller in-charge of the command, paraded the immigrants before newsmen on Sunday in Abakaliki.

He said the arrest was in line with the Federal Government's directive to clear the country of illegal foreigners before the April general elections.

Adeyinka said 38 of the immigrants were from Niger Republic, three from Ghana and four each from the Cameroon and Mali respectively.

He said the immigrants, who were arrested in the three senatorial zones of the state, had no official permits to live and work in Nigeria and with no reasonable source of livelihood.

"Majority of the immigrants are found with the National Identity cards and INEC voters'card for the April general elections," he added.

The Exceutive Secretary of SEMA, Mr Hyacith Oteh, said the immigrants, together with their families, would be deported to their respective countries after interrogation.

He said the immigrants continued stay in the country constitued a security risk, noting that they could be used to forment trouble during the elections.

Oteh urged the government to provide adequate logistics to agencies to enable it carry out effective operations.

Sarki Adamu Abubakar, one of the immigrants from Niger, who is married with two wives and children, claimed to be the traditional ruler of his people in Ebonyi, and had lived in the area for more than 20 years..

He appealed to the federal and state governments to allow them to establish a link with their home countries to save them from further hardship.