Customs And Immigration Deny Directive To Exit Borders; As APC Raises Alarm

By Chris Nomjov

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has questioned the strange directive ordering the withdrawal of Customs, Immigration and other security personnel from the country’s border posts in Kebbi and Katsina States, wondering what purpose such a directive was meant to serve.

In a statement issued in Lagos on Monday by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said the verbal directive led to the total withdrawal of the stated personnel from the border posts in the two states, leaving the posts unmanned.

The party wondered who gave the order and for what purpose, and asked the Federal Government to immediately tell Nigerians what happened.

”It will not be enough for the government to tell Nigerians that it is not aware of such a development, because that will be more egregious than what happened in the first instance, and will amount to the government not being able to secure the country’s borders.

”It is also necessary to tell Nigerians how many states were affected by such orders. We were only made aware of two, but there is the possibility that the directive could have been more widespread,” APC said.

The party said with no one left to man the borders in the affected areas for as long as the directive lasted, which is yet to be determined, anything could have happened.

”Who gave the verbal order? Was the order given verbally so that there will be no evidence of it? Were the Customs, Immigration and other security personnel ordered away to allow the free entry of contraband goods, election materials, weapons, terrorists or what?

”Even with our borders manned, Boko Haram terrorists have been marauding freely along the border areas. Will this illegal order not worsen the security situation, at a time the government is giving Nigerians the assurance that it will deal Boko Haram a mortal blow within six weeks?” it queried.

APC said the development, coming a day after leaflets were distributed in Gombe asking people to stay away from polling booths on election days, raises more fears over the ongoing scheming by the Jonathan Administration and the PDP to ensure the rescheduled elections do not hold.

”In pursuit of this objective, these band of desperate people will do anything, including threatening the very existence of the country. Nigerians must not allow them,” the party said.

However, both the Nigerian Customs Service, (NCS) and the Nigerian Immigration Service, (NIS), have denied allegations that operatives of the two formations have been issued verbal directives to withdraw from the border posts in Kebbi and Katsina States.

In a separate statements on Monday afternoon, both the Customs and Immigration insisted that no such directives were issued and that instead, operatives of the two formations are reinforcing its borders and not contemplating abandoning same for a second.

The NCS in a statement signed by Wale Adeniyi, its Public Relations Officer, said that there was no directive whatsoever, verbal or written to Officers of Nigeria Customs Service posted to Kebbi/Sokoto and Kaduna/Katsina commands to withdraw from the borders or their patrol bases.

“In the same vein, there was no directive withdrawing Customs Operatives from duty posts in other border stations across the country.

Adeniyi said that the Comptroller-General only last week directed a reinforcement of Patrol Teams across the country in view of the current security challenges in the country, stressing that “The Sokoto/Kebbi axis was beefed up with the deployment of a Special Squad in view of a reported incident between Customs and smugglers.”

“The Service is in consultation with Nigeria Immigration Service and other sister Government Agencies on this issue. They confirmed that they did not receive any such withdrawal directive.

“We are similarly in consultation with the State Governments in the North West axis, to reassure them that our Officers are at alert on their duty posts, and should regard the withdrawal allegation as baseless and mere speculation.

The NIS, on its part said there is no such circular or directive given to the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) nor its personnel at Kebbi and Katsina State Commands.

On the contrary, it said that it is reinforcing its borders and not contemplating abandoning same for a second.

A statement signed by Chukwuemeka Obua, NIS Public Relations Officer, said that the Nigeria Immigration Service and indeed other security agencies understand the grave consequences of abandoning the nation’s frontlines and so would never attempt to do so.

“Members of the public are hereby enjoined to disregard and ignore such reports and further advised to give any useful information to ensure the security of our borders and the wellbeing of all Nigerians.