IMMIGRATION ALERTS ON PLANS TO FLOOD NIGERIA WITH ARMS

The Nigeria Immigration Service has alerted on plans by some unidentified persons to flood the country with arms ahead of the 2011 elections. Consequent upon this, the service had placed its officers and men on red alert to ensure that the small arms and light weapons were prevented from entering into wrong hands.

At her maiden meeting with the Immigration comptrollers in charge of states' commands on Wednesday in Abuja, Comptroller General (CG) of the service, Rose Chinyere Uzoma, stressed that the main purpose she invited them was, 'to brief you on the urgent and sensitive security situation which came to my attention.'

At the meeting, which had national security, as top priority on the agenda for discussion, Uzoma told her comptrollers that, 'we have it on good authourity that some elements have perfected arrangements to bring in small arms and light weapons in large quantities preparatory to the 2011 elections, with the aim of using such weapons to cause civil unrest and hold the nation to ransom.' She also alerted on the plans for a large scale infiltration of non-nationals especially Nigerienne nationals to ferment troubles by manipulating the entire process and throwing the country into crisis.

The CG warned the comptrollers on the need to tighten their controls and ensure that such unwholesome importation do not come through their commands' border areas. Uzoma said in view of the current delicate security situation in the country as well as the impending general elections, there was also a need to upgrade security measures at their entry points.

'It is important that officers at the entry points wake up to their responsibility and take cognizance at all times of any Nigerian of dubious character, whose departure from the country and entry into the country are inimical to social and economic interest of Nigeria.

'Officers in all formations should endeavour to be firm and fair in the discharge of their official functions and as long as it is done in correct manner without any pecuniary interest, my administration will stand behind them and ensure they receive full protection,' she stated.