Nigeria Immigration Service reveals plans to close borders during elections
Jethro Yerga, Jalingo
As part of its complementary role to ensure that the forth comming election is conducted under a peaceful atmosphere, the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) Taraba State Command, has disclosed that it would temporally close Taraba State borders during the forth comming general elections to prevent influx of strangers and unusual movement of people in and out of the State.
The Comptroller, Nigerian Immigration Service, Taraba State Command, H K Usman disclosed this development during an interactive session with journalists in Jalingo, the State capital
He said the command had already taken steps to re-synergize with other sister agencies including Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC) and State Security Service (SSS) to play effective complementary role to the lead agency, the Nigerian Police, during and after the general elections
In his words; “We are going to police the borders. We will temporally close them untill the elections are over. There would be no unusual movement during elections but after the first tranche of the elections, the borders will be opened and again, closed during the second tranche.
“We have also deployed enough of our personel begining from the National to States, from states to Local Governments and to Ward levels down to the various Polling Units in that order. I want to assure you that we are going to give much attention to flash point Areas all to ensure that the election is conducted orderly and under a peaceful atmosphere that Nigerian would appreciate”. He added
The Comptroller also disclosed that personel of the agency had earlier confiscated over 462 Voter Cards (PVCs) from Non- Nigerians who were erroneously given and had accordingly remitted same to the Service Headquarters on the 8th day of February, 2023 during the agency’s retreat.
He pledged that they would not rest on their oars but would continue with the process of fishing out non Nigerians so that they would stay away from the elections, adding that through sensitization and collaborations with the various stakeholders, non Nigerians would not near the polling units on the election days
Commenting on the matured conduct of political parties and gubernatorial Candidates in the state, the Comptroller applauded the Various Political parties and the gubernatorial Candidates in the state for signing a peace accord in respect to the general elections and expressed hope that the singular act would instill peace during and after the elections.
“By signing the peace accord, they have committed themselves to agree that they would dance in line with peace during and after the elections. This has also build up confidence in the democratic process among our people and we believe that they will prevail on their supporters to eschew violence in the event of the outcome of the elections”. He added
He called on youths in the state to eschew all forms of violence during and after the elections advising that, in an event of grievances, they should identify the appropriate places and chanel such issues for necessary actions instead of taking laws in their hands.
