President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday directed the Nigeria Immigration Service to up its surveillance and control around the nation’s borders.
Buhari directed the service to ensure that criminals do not find Nigeria as a safe haven to hide and perpetuate their criminality.
The directive comes against the background of reports linking the current wave of insecurity in the country to an influx of foreigners from the West African region.
A statement by the President’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, said the Nigerian leader gave the directive in his speech at the virtual inauguration of the NIS Technology Building.
The statement was titled “President Buhari directs Immigration Service to tighten security around borders, urges security outfits to raise performance.”
The statement quoted Buhari as instructing all security agencies to increase their performance in protecting lives and property, with and mandated them to improve Nigeria’s Global Security Index must be improved.
President Buhari asked the Immigration Service to collaborate with international security organisations, including the INTERPOL in safeguarding the borders.
“As a security agency, I charge you to be relentless in carrying out your statutory duties of keeping our borders safe while you ensure that criminal elements don’t find Nigeria as a safe haven to hide and perpetuate their criminality.
“I urge you to actively collaborate with international security organisations like the INTERPOL, in safeguarding our borders. Remember that a safe border is a prerequisite for a safe nation.
“You must develop strong working relationships and ties with the international community and friendly nations as it relates to migration management; adopt and implement workable strategies from them while also sharing your best practices.
“Frontline workers and operators should remember that they are our windows to the world. They must show the best face of Nigeria at all times,” he counselled the security agencies.
The Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, said that as Nigeria’s Visa-on-Arrival policy gets proper documentation of all entrants and sharing with international security structures to ensure tight surveillance and compliance while announcing a review period of stay from 90 days to 30 days.
He announced that henceforth, half of the immigration personnel will be deployed to the nation’s borders.
