The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Department of Security Service (DSS) and soldiers have been put on the red alert as the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS deadline for the restoration of democratic rule in Niger Republic ended on Sunday.
According to the Nigerian Tribune, the security on the Nigerian borders with Niger Republic has been intensified.
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Immigration officials, DSS personnel and Nigerian Customs Service have been mandated to stop Nigerien citizens from crossing over to Nigeria through official or unofficial borders.
On the other hand, Nigerians were not allowed to cross over into Niger Republic through the Kamba border in Kebbi State, llela border in Sokoto, Jibiya, Maradi, Zango, Mai’Adua as well as Kaita borders in Katsina State. Other borders affected included Gurbin Bore, in Zamfara and Babura, Maigari in Jigawa State.
Speaking on the development, the Immigration Comptroller in charge of Special Border Command, Mustapha Sani, in an interview, stated: “Nigerians should stay at home and not attempt to go to the Niger Republic until the embargo is lifted, “adding that “we are determined to return any Nigerian citizen planning to come back to his country.”
According to him, “we have already put our officers on alert and we have already deployed some to man the orthodox routes through which some of the foreigners use to enter into Nigeria and from what we have on the ground, we know it will be impossible for them to enter into Nigeria. We have also already stationed our officers at strategic places for stop and search as usual.
Sani explained that since the special border command received a signal that all borders with the Niger Republic should remain closed, officers of the command have been active in enforcing the sanction.
In Zamfara State, tight security had been mounted in Gurbin Bore village in Zurmi Local Government Area of the state to check illegal migrants from Niger Republic into the country.
In an interview with journalists, the state Comptroller of NIS, Ibrahim Dauda Sabimoro, posited that the primary responsibility of immigration is to check the influx of migrants in the country, stressing that security has been beefed up at the border to checkmate influx into the country through Niger border.
Also, in Sokoto, at Illela border community, residents were apprehensive over the ultimatum given by President Bola Tinubu-led Economic of West African States (ECOWAS), which ended on Sunday.
Meanwhile, seeming hostilities have begun between Nigerian and Nigerien soldiers constituting Multinational Joint Task Force in the neighbouring town of Malam Fatori, bordering Marte Local Government Area of Borno State, Nigeria and Bosso town in Niger Republic, in the Lake Chad region.
Following the ECOWAS sanctions on Niger and the declaration of potential military action by ECOWAS, Nigerian soldiers have been denied access to Bosso town where they usually go to source items for their daily lives and basic provisions.
“Commercial activities between the two countries have been suspended, while no individual is allowed entry into Diffa or Bosso from Nigeria,” said Ali Liman, a Nigerian who resides in Diffa.
He averred: “The price of commodities is also increasing because most of the goods that we are using here came from Nigeria. One litre of fuel is more than N1,000, one maggie cube is now N30 and we are not supporting military operations in Niger.”