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 of Press and Public Relations in the Ministry of Interior, Afonja Ajibola, made this known in a statement on Wednesday in Abuja.
According to him, the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Dr Shuaib Belgore, disclosed this in Lagos while delivering a speech at the 3rd edition of the International Security Management Course that took place at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, NIIA.
Mr 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 that continued to pose 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 situation where many African states share people with the same ancestry and separated into different countries.
This development, he said, usually lead to aiding irregular migration by some elements who hide under the guise to export crimes.
The highlight of the event witnessed presentation of a plaque to Mr Belgore as a worthy Special Guest of Honour.
The course would provide participants the opportunity to scrutinise the security challenges associated with cross-border mobility in Africa and within sub-region due to the ECOWAS protocol.
The protocol conferred certain rights to all citizens of ECOWAS member states, and also analyses cultural and geographic landscape of the borders.
NAN
