FG needs $244m for border surveillance equipment

The  Minister of Interior, Mr. Abba Moro, said in Abuja on Thursday that the Federal Government needed $244m to install electronic surveillance round the country's borders.

He said the amount, if available, would be enough to provide security around the country's borders.

Moro, who was briefing the Peoples Democratic Party National Working Committee members on the activities of the ministry, noted also that the ministry had uncovered 30 illegal guard companies in Nigeria.

He told members of the ruling party that the government would leverage on the offer of support by  the United States to the  Nigeria in the fight against terrorism.

Moro, while acknowledging that the porosity of  Nigerian  borders ,  said with the surveillance projects, the policing of the illegal 1,497 routes into the country would be more effective.

'We are making efforts to procure appropriate modern technology to be installed along our borders and we are collaborating with the US State Department and a private Chinese company.

'When we have done this, the temptation of illegal entry into Nigeria will be reduced,' he said.

According to the minister,  his ministry is collaborating with the Border Development Agency to construct Border Plaza at 84 sites, which he said would promote commerce along the border communities and reduce illegal activities.

He however dismissed unequivocally  the alleged employment racketeering in the ministry, Moro dismissed the allegation. He explained  that some faceless people used the name of the ministry to open a website, exploiting the platform to swindle innocent job seekers.

According to Moro, 'There was no employment racketeering in the ministry, what we heard was that some unscrupulous elements opened a website in the name of the ministry which they have been using to dupe unsuspecting members of the public.

'One of them even used my name to open such website but we have been able to arrest him somewhere in Asokoro, Abuja.'