Borders: FG refuses entry for 1,111 irregular migrants in 2 months

The Federal Government has refused entry for 1,111 irregular
migrants in the past two months of the ongoing joint border
operations just as it has removed 728 others who are already in the
country.

The Comptroller General of Immigration, Mohammed Babandede, at a
joint briefing with Customs in Abuja, who revealed this, said that
the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) had also stopped many on
irregular migration since August 20 when the operation began.

He said: “Before this operation, people enter into 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.

“We 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 removed,” he explained.

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

The Comptroller General of Customs (CGC), Col. Hameed Ali (Rtd),
who spoke on how the operation was impinging on the fundamental
rights of movement, said: “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: “As it is in the last report,
our consumption of petroleum products has reduced by 10.2 million
litres which means 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 litres tanker of
vegetable oil, 133 motorcycles, 70 cans of petrol and 131 bags of
fertilizer used for making explosives.

“As a result of this closure, Niger Republic has already
circulated an order banning exportation of rice in any form to
Nigeria,” Ali added.

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