The Comptroller General of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Mrs Kemi Nandap has pledged to strengthen border security and surveillance to combat security challenges bedeviling the country.
Addressing Comptrollers of the 36 states including the FCT on Tuesday in Abuja, the NIS CG emphasised the need for effective border control measures to prevent illegal activities, including smuggling and terrorism.
Nandap stressed the importance of physical presence, surveillance, and data collection in tackling security challenges across the nation borders.
She charged the comptrollers to be upright and diligent in carrying out the mandate of the service adding that officers needed to be ontop of border policing.
“The reason for this meeting is for us to know how to make sure our borders are safe and secure. I am sure you all know that upon my assumption of duty, I went round to do an assessment of the border.
“I went round to also find out from our borders what are we not doing right. How do we make sure we are efficient and effective,” she said.
Nandap emphasised that there are numerous security challenges facing the country adding that it require the service’s utmost attention.
She said, “Although we have managed to contain the situation relatively well so far, we cannot afford to be complacent.
“As Comptrollers, it is imperative that you conduct regular surveillance and physically be present on ground to understand the challenges faced by your teams.
“The days of remote work are over; it’s time to get hands-on and find solutions to the problems we encounter.
“We can no longer tolerate the influx of non-Nigerians into our country; it’s time to take our responsibilities seriously and address these security concerns head-on.
“We need to ensure our borders are safe and secure. I have assessed our border controls and identified areas for improvement. We need to be efficient and effective in our operations.”
The NIS CG therefore, mandated the use of a reporting template to ensure standardised reporting adding that it would help fortify border policing.
“We have officers in all 774 Local Government Areas (LGAs), but we’re not utilising them effectively. We must change this to enhance our service delivery.
“There are some hot spot that are known for smuggling of migrants, terrorism, you must know what your area is prone to, I mean the prevailing crimes there.
“You must analyse your state and know the crime pattern, only then can you proffer solutions and be relevant to the state government,” she said.
