The Federal Government has reiterated its commitment to tackle insecurity occasioned by irregular migration and increasing transnational activities across Nigeria’s international borders.
The Deputy Director, Press and Public Relations, Ministry of Interior, Mr Afonja Ajibola, who made the disclosure in a statement yesterday, in Abuja, said the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Dr Shuaib Belgore, confirmed the development in Lagos, while delivering a speech at the third edition of the International Security Management Course which took place at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA).
Belgore said the ministry, through the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), has evolved new ways to improve border control, border management, border monitoring and protection. The permanent secretary added that such innovations would help confront 21st century evolving challenges which continued to pose a threat to Nigeria’s internal security.
“The importance of border security cannot be overemphasised in view of the rate and significance of trans-national crimes. Indeed, this is of global significance due to globalisation and increasing travel. Accordingly, there has been an increase in transnational crimes from irregular migration to trafficking in persons, smuggling of migrants, financial crimes, drug related offences and transportation of illegal weapons, among others.”
He blamed illicit movement of arms and persons as well as using borders as escape routes by criminal elements as reasons for heightened insecurity in the country.
The permanent secretary, however, assured Nigerians that recent innovations currently undertaken would help to checkmate crimes, in collaboration with Nigeria Customs Service (NCS). He attributed the lingering border induced criminalities to situations where many African states share people with the same ancestry and separated into different countries.
This development, he said, usually leads to aiding irregular migration by some elements who hide under the guise to export crimes.
