The Nigeria Immigration Service, NIS, has denied knowledge of alleged security breach within the country’s borders.
This was as the NIS said its involvement in the ongoing operation Swift response,was to ensure regular human mobility, against the backdrop of closure of land border.
BusinessDay recalls that the Federal Government had, sometime in August this year, announced the closure of land borders, to check illegal cross-border activities such as drug trafficking, smuggling of goods and arms, among others.
Apart from the NIS, the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS), Department of State Services, and the National Intelligence Agency, are among agencies involved in the “operation swift response”.
In the face of the operation, however, there are concerns that some people were designing new smuggling strategies, to enter the country with foreign goods.
Investigation further showed that some men along the border collect money from those businessmen, with a view to facilitating their illicit activities.
Speaking on allegations of smuggling in relation to the border closure, the NIS maintained that it was collaborating with the Customs and others, to enforce the presidential directive.
Spokesperson for the service, Sunday James, who stated this in a telephone conversation with our correspondent, said: ” We (NIS) don’t involve ourselves in smuggling activities. We deal with human mobility.
“Our collaboration with the Nigerian Customs is based on the directive of the federal government that there should be an operation called operation swift response which is been coordinated by the office of the National Security Adviser(NSA)and that is why I say, I am not aware of any other thing than the operation that is going on.
“The lead agencies are the Nigerian customs and the Immigration. Others are in support like the military, DSS and the NIA.
“Specifically, we are in charge of enforcing regular human mobility. That is, when you are coming into the country, you must come with your valid visa and passport and through a recognized route”.
On whether the service is aware of breach in border security he said” I am not aware”.
Stella Enenche, Abuja
