The Nigeria Immigration Service has closed borders and redeployed personnel to unorthodox roads to check foreigners’ entry into the state.
The NIS Comptroller in charge of Jibia command, in Katsina State, Mr Mustapha Sani, who disclosed this at a joint celebration with the state’s command to commemorate the service at 60, said the move was in response to the situation in neighbouring Niger Republic.
Sani said borders have been closed, and there are restrictions of movement along the areas.
He, therefore, advised Nigerians who want to travel to Niger to stay safe at home, saying only Nigerians that are returning home were allowed in through the border.
“The NIS has deployed its personnel to mount all the unorthodox roads through which some of the foreigners may likely infiltrate the country.
“You know Katsina and the Niger Republic are a homogeneous society, with the same language, religion and culture, but we have a colonial boundary which we must respect,” he said.
Sani told the officers and men of the command that the service had been transformed to modern immigration, with Nigerian passports among the best in the world.
He said the Nigerian passport was well protected with a lot of security features that make it impossible to be forged, because of its biometric nature and also personalised.
“There’s no way one can use your passport because God has created us unique, especially with our fingerprints.
“Katsina State is among the only two states in the country with special border Command.
“As it is now, we are trying to have an E-border. Just recently, our ICT officers came to the command for a survey, so that they can install some of the gadgets.
“With this development, whatever we do, can be viewed from the headquarters,” the Comptroller said.
He, therefore, advised them to be computer literate, as the service was moving, saying, “If you are not computer literate, that means you may not have a place in the service.”
