Challenges Of Nigeria’s Porous Borders

Nigeria is one of the countries in West Africa with porous
borders. A document released by Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), shows that
the country has 1,497 irregular and 84 regular routes.

Nigeria shares borders with Niger Republic and Chad to the
north, Benin Republic in the west, Cameroon to the north east and south south,
Equatorial Guinea, Sao Tome and Principe in the south.

These numerous entry points pose great challenges to the
NIS, the Nigeria Customs Service and other security agencies.

Experts have pointed out that the porous borders are
contributing to the current security challenges in the country, resulting in
unrestrained influx of illegal immigrants through the routes.

Statistics recently released by the NIS also confirm that
movement into the country is thriving through the routes.

NIS stated it repatriated 52,382 nationals of various
countries in the last seven months of this year.

Mr Joachim Olumba, NIS Public Relations Officer, said those
repatriated were mostly ECOWAS nationals.

The PRO also said that 16,998 nationals were refused entry
into the country through the various borders between February and May.

He said that it was arduous patrolling the borders, noting
that the service lacked the manpower to effectively do that.

According to Olumba, mobility is a problem, adding that the
needs of the service include helicopters, camels, horses and motorcycles, among
others.

He said, however, that arrangements were underway to solve
accommodation and other problems through a Public-Private-Partnership
arrangement under which border plazas are expected to be constructed, including
installation of high technical migration facilities, offices and barracks for
officers.

The NIS Comptroller-General, Mrs Rose Uzoma at a recent
meeting with state comptrollers and assistant comptrollers, said they should be
more proactive in the control of borders under their supervision.

Uzoma restated that the prevailing security situation in the
country was a challenge to officers and men of the NIS.

She stressed the need for them to be more dedicated and
devoted in the performance of their duties so that the country’s borders would
not be a safe passage for people without identities.

The comptroller general said that ECOWAS citizens without
valid travel documents should not be allowed entry as was in the past, as long
as they did not constitute security problems.

She noted that the ECOWAS Protocol on the free movement of
people has been misunderstood to mean entry without valid documents.

She also said that more officers had been posted to local
government areas to ensure effective monitoring and control of the borders

The comptroller general said the NIS should be adequately
funded to boost its capacity to safeguard the country’s borders and tackle
other security challenges.

The easy entry into the country has been attributed to the
absence of a reliable national identification for Nigerian citizens.

It was in an effort to redress this that the Federal
Government mandated the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) to
provide national identity database to address the problem.

The NIMC Director-General, Mr Chris Onyemenam, said the
National Identification Number (NIN) would drastically reduce illegal entry
through the borders, as no two individuals could possess the same number.

Onyemenam said the new enrolment would differentiate a
Nigerian from a foreigner even if they bear the same name.

He stressed the need for all Nigerians to obtain their
National Identification Numbers as such could be used for other purposes.

During a recent visit to some parastatal agencies under the
Ministry of Interior, Mr Umar Bature, House Committee Chairman on Interior ,
promised support.

He assured that the National Assembly would look into the
issues of funding, as well as review of obsolete laws hindering the operation
of some of the parastatal agencies.

The challenge of checking unrestrained movement into the
country through the land borders has been identified. It borders on paucity of
funds and personnel to man the numerous irregular and regular routes, among
others.

The issues should, therefore, be addressed to enable the
service deliver on its mandate.

By Lydia Beshel