Moro: Nigeria Needs $244m to Police Borders

Moro: Nigeria Needs $244m to Police Borders

 Abba Moro

Says 1,497 illegal entry points exist in Nigeria

Chuks Okocha

The Minister of Internal Affairs, Abba Moro, Thursday said in view of the increasing security concerns in the country, the federal government needed about $244 million to effectively install electronic surveillance round the nation’s borders.

Based on this, he said there were 1,497 identified illegal entry points into the country.

Moro, who briefed the National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP),  as part of the assessment of the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), explained that the United States State Department, which offered to assist Nigeria as part of its international war against terror, had already picked some component of the facilities, which a private Chinese company, under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) had indicated interest.

He also declared that 30 illegal guard companies were discovered, while the operator of one of them was under arrest for operating an illegal guard and security company.

The minister, who debunked insinuations on employment racketeering in the ministry, said: “Some unscrupulous elements opened a website in the name of the ministry which they have been using to dupe unsuspecting members of the public.”

Giving details on the  border control, Moro acknowledged that the country’s vast borders were porous, but  said when the projects to be mounted by the US State Department and the Chinese company comes on stream, the illegal 1,497 routes into the country would be effectively policed and illegal entrance into the country effectively controlled.
According to him, “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 for which we had initially received a cost of $244 million.

“With the assistance of the US State Department, we realised that some components of the offer we got from the private firm were contained in what the State Department would be offering us. When we have done this, the temptation of illegal entry into Nigeria will be reduced.”

The minister explained that his ministry was collaborating with the Border Development Agency to construct Border Plaza at 84 sites, which he hopes would promote commerce along the border communities and reduce illegal activities along the borders.

On the illegal employment website that have duped Nigerians seeking for employment, the Minister said: “One of them even used my name to open such website but we have been able to arrest him somewhere in Asokoro, Abuja, when I asked one of his would-be victims to play along with him.”

He also explained that the that when the ministry realised serious infraction of expatriate quota and other forms of racketeering involving foreign companies, he decided to harmonise the issuance of such permits in line with extant rules which permits the minister to be the only authorising organ.