Border Closure: Task Force counts gains in security, economy sectors

The Joint Border Operation Drill, Sector 3 says it has recorded gains by improving security and economy of the country in less than two months of inauguration.
The Acting Coordinator, Joint Border Operation Drill, Sector 3, Comptroller Garba Mohammed, disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria on Sunday in Ilorin, Kwara State.
Sector three of the task force covers Benue, Kogi, Kwara and Niger States of North Central Nigeria.
Mohammed said both security and economy sectors of the country are witnessing turn around since the drill was set up on January 16, 2020.
NAN reports that the border drill is a task force set up by the Federal Government following the dangerous trend the security in the country was tilting towards.
It is the highest task force set up by the office of the National Security Adviser, retired Major General Babagana Monguno, comprising all the security agencies in Nigeria to secure the land and maritime borders against smuggling, cattle rustling, child trafficking, proliferation of small and light weapons and illegal migration.
The border drill was also to ensure that neighbouring countries respect the agreement and protocol entered into between Nigeria and the rest of the countries.
Mohammed said: “The security situation before was taking a dangerous proportion in terms of banditry, terrorism and cattle rustling.
“There were situations where bandits run down a whole community, but with the setting up of the border drills, these atrocities have been reduced.
“If you look at the rate of kidnapping before the setting up of the border drill, it was worrisome, but now, smuggling, child trafficking and illegal migration have all reduced.
“Talking about smuggling in particular, it is statistically proven and on record that 10 million litres of petrol are been saved daily.
“For instance, in the North Central Zone that this sector covers, within the short period of the border drill, over 6,000 litres of diesel have also been intercepted by this sector.
“One hundred and sixty illegal migrants have been intercepted and handed over to the appropriate authority, while vehicles and illicit weapons were also intercepted.”
Mohammed added that intensive patrol checks were been carried out by over 800 operatives personnel deployed to the North Central Zone.
He said: ‘Daily, intensive patrol checks are carried out, which gives us the records obtained so far.
“In this same zone, over 800 personnel have been deployed in various locations with over 50 vehicles.
“And the Kwara State Commissioner of Police, CP Kayode Egbetokun, recently confirmed to us that the border drill has reduced criminality along border communities.”
The acting coordinator added that the operation is also helping in keeping records to ensure proper planning by the government.
Mohammed said: “As regards the economy, the country needs statistics and accurate data to effect proper planning.
“The border closure is now giving government data of what was going out.
“Before there was no record of such.
“For instance, if the government wants to build hospital, they need to know the number of people in and around the community to know the capacity of the hospital to build.
“So, with the border drill, Immigration Service have records of all the foreigners in Nigeria because they are now registered.”
NAN.