Sidebar

Exclusive Reports

28
Thu, Mar

Border Closure: A Laudable Achievement - CG NIS

Top Stories
Typography
  • Smaller Small Medium Big Bigger
  • Default Helvetica Segoe Georgia Times

According to the Comptroller General of Immigration Service, (CG-NIS), Mohammed Babandede, at a joint briefing with Customs in Abuja, revealed that the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) had also stopped no fewer than 1,111 persons on irregular migration since August 20, 2019, when the operation began.

 

The CG stated that before this operation, people enter the country in and out.

But this operation has enhanced the ECOWAS rule on entry and exit of persons.

“We have refused entry for 1,111 people who do not have the right travel documents to enter Nigeria.

Among the 147 people we have arrested, many are not even citizens of ECOWAS states" CG, NIS disclosed.

He further stressed that NIS have arrested Pakistanis and North Koreans.

"We have deported seven and processing deportation of the others.

728 who have entered into the country have been repatriated,” he explained.

Coordinator of the Exercise at the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), Brig. Gen. Emmanuel Aliyu Ndagi, stated that the operation had promoted inter-agency harmony, adding that the agencies involved had been directed to use only minimum force in the process.

On his part, the Comptroller General of Customs (CGC), Col. Hameed Ali (Rtd), who spoke on how the operation was impinging on the fundamental rights of movement, informed that:

“When it comes to security, all other laws take a backseat. Nigeria must survive first then we can begin to consider your rights.

” Speaking on the gains, he said:

He further disclosed that “As it is in the last report, our consumption of petroleum products has reduced by 10.2 million liters which mean that has been continuously been smuggled to our neighboring countries.

” He said goods worth N1.43 billion had been seized while operatives had arrested 317 suspected smugglers and 147 illegal migrants, seized 21,071 bags of foreign rice, 190 vehicles, 891 drums of petrol, 2665 can of vegetable oil, 66,000 liters tanker of vegetable oil, 133 motorcycles, 70 cans of petrol and 131 bags of fertilizer used for making explosives.

The CGC added that, as a result of this border closure, Niger Republic has already circulated an order banning the exportation of rice in any form to Nigeria,” Ali added.

BLOG COMMENTS POWERED BY DISQUS