Comptroller General of Immigration (CG), Mohammed Babandede, has promised to back the border closure policy, confirming that it has yielded positive results as far as the security of the nation is concerned.
Babandede who made this known to pressmen yesterday in Kano State, said that no responsible country would like to operate porous borders where contrabands, illegal immigrants, arms and ammunitions will be smuggled unchecked.
Stressing that it is the responsibility of Immigration officials to ensure maximum security of the borders or else the nation will continue to battle with several insurmountable criminal activities.
“Last two weeks we were able to kill one foreign national, a Nigerien who refused to be searched and took to his heels when asked to come for screening while our boys apprehended the other and found incriminating things with him.
“These include pistols, laptops, handsets, among others on their way coming into Nigeria without any travelling documents.”
The Comptroller said in line with the new vigor the Command opened a patrol office in Katsina, Daura and many other places and posted 30 officials to each duty post. He noted that every officer will be expected to spend at least three months in the bush before he will be asked to relocate home while another takes over from him.
Babandede said everything has been provided for them at the duty post such as accormodation and night allowances in order for them to tackle whoever is coming into the country illegally.
While commenting on the ban on Rice importation by the Muhammadu Buhari-led government, he said no country with Nigeria’s economic potentials, both in human and material resources, would depend on any nation to survive in terms of food production.
“In fact, we have everything and it is a must that Nigeria must feed herself.” He said it is shameful that at the age of 58, a nation such Nigeria cannot continue to wait on other nation’s to feed her.
The comptroller of Immigration further declared that by January 2020, all illegal immigrants living in the country will be deported. He said foreigners without documents to prove their legitimate stay in the country will be shown the way out.
He added, “so far, about four million foreign nationals have registered their names with us and the exercise will be a continued process till January next year, and anybody who fail to act wisely will definitely be facing deportation.”
Babandede said measures were already put implaced to deal with any officer or group that is found conspiring with culprits to over stay their relevance in Nigeria. “We are going to imposed sanctions to check the exceses of our officials in this regard,” he assured.
On the recruitment of staff into the service, he urged Nigerians not to be fooled by some people who disguise as Immigration representatives to sell fake employment offers at exobitant charges.
“We are yet to start recruitment and whenever the time is ripe for that, we will make formal announcement and make available the procedures for prospective applicants to apply online for full participation of every Nigerian.
“In fact, we are in need of young officers as the old ones are fast retiring. We need to replace them with young and energetic men who can carry on from where the retirees stopped,” he said.
Babandede however assured that the immigration service enjoys good working relationship with other security agencies such as the Army, Police, Customs, and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) adding, “the cooperation among us is yielding positive results daily.”
Meanwhile, border operatives of the Immigration Service has rounded up two Niger nationals in possession of pistol, computers and phones at Kongolam, Katsina State.
The Service in a statement by its Public Relations Officer (PRO), DCI James Sunday disclosed that the arrest of the aliens followed a swift operation intensified after the visit by the comptroller general of the Service, Muhammad Babandede and his Customs counterpart Col, (rtd) Hammeed Ibrahim Ali, to assess the level of cooperation, synergy and successes of the two outfits.
Babandede and his Customs counterpart had during their visits, enjoined the operatives in Katsina to keep the border safe in the spirit of national security.
According to the statement, the arrested culprits who attempted to open fire in a bid to evade arrest were overpowered by the operatives who shot one dead and apprehended the other one who provided information about their activities.
The statement further revealed that after due interrogation and profiling, the surviving criminal was handed over to the police for further necessary action.
It said the comptroller of the Katsina State command, Bin Umar, and his men have been commended by the CGI for the stride.
The comptroller general of the Service attributed the arrest to the border drill exercise, Operation Swift Response introduced by the Service to catch criminal elements and smugglers.
The statement warned border communities to desist from conniving and sabotaging government efforts at ensuring internal security.