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Nigeria Immigration Service (CGIS), says its attention has been drawn to a statement credited to the National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressive Congress (APC) that a directive has been given to the operatives of the Customs and Immigration Services to withdraw from the border posts in Kebbi and Katsina States.
In the said report, APC National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed was quoted as saying that a verbal directive has been given to the security operatives of the Customs and Immigration to vacate their duty posts on the borderlines across Kebbi and Katsina states.
Reacting, Comptroller General of Immigration Service (CGIS), David Shikfu Parradang, emphatically stated that there was no such circular or directive given to the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) nor its personnel at Kebbi and Katsina State Commands.
A statement signed by NIS spokesman, Chukwuemeka Obua (ACI), said on the contrary, the NIS was reinforcing its borders and not contemplating abandoning same for a second.
“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.
“The Comptroller General wishes to use this medium to assure the public that our officers and men are on 24/7 patrol and surveillance across all the nation’s borders”, he stated.
Similarly, the Nigeria Customs Service has refuted the same allegation made by the APC.
It dismissed reports that operatives deployed at Border Stations in Kebbi and Sokoto States have been withdrawn.
“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,” a statement by Wale Adeniyi, its Public Relations Officer said.
“In the same vein, there was no directive withdrawing Customs Operatives from duty posts in other border stations across the country.
“In view of the security situation in the country, the Comptroller-General only last week directed a reinforcement of Patrol Teams across the country. 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 also 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”.
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