The Acting Comptroller General of Nigeria Customs Service, Bashir Wale Adeniyi MFR has tasked border communities to help enhance national security by giving information and intelligence that will rid the border areas of criminals to the security agencies.
The comptroller general stated that when there is security in the border areas there will be no need to have many checkpoints.
The CGC who addressed stakeholders at Seme-Krake Joint border on Friday stressed the need to enhance national security with fewer checkpoints on the border corridors.
He however said that this can only be made possible if everybody at all the strata of the society take national security as a priority.
The Customs boss restated that security should not be the business of security agencies alone, charging border communities to make life and the work of security agencies easier.
He noted that criminals, those who bringing arms and ammunition live and operate within the communities.
CG Adeniyi charged the border communities to help reinforce national security with information and intelligence in order to catch those criminals who have been vising mayhem on the communities.
His words: ‘They are our enemies. They don’t like us. They don’t mean well for us. So, we need to help the security agencies to apprehend them. If security agencies can do their work easily with accurate intelligence from you, then there might be no need for all those checkpoints again.”
The CGC reiterated his promise to engage other security agencies when he gets to Abuja to see how they can streamline the checkpoints.
He remarked that not all the borders were reopened last year, adding that discussions are on along the line.
“Policies that are made to enhance national security are supposed to be dynamic policies. At different times, we will be reviewing them and that is why we have started reviewing them and that is why some were opened about a year ago,” he stated.
The Customs boss explained that it’s a continuous process as more borders will be opened along the line.
He assured that all closed borders will be subject to review, adding that everything will depend on the kind of reports that get to the government about the ability, the capacity of the border communities to support government enforcement agencies so that criminals don’t infiltrate through these border areas.
He noted that the relationship between the security agencies and the border communities will be symbiotic and mutually beneficial for all.
Adeniyi said that by the time security is enhanced, it will then be right to start discussions on allowing vehicles and some other goods can come in through the borders.
He hinted that the above will be the kind of discussions that will be coming up among the security agencies when there is an assurance from the communities that they will be ready to assist the agencies.
Welcoming the Customs boss to Seme-Krake Joint Border Post, the Chairman, Badagry West Local Government, Hon. Joseph Gbenu commended the CGC for choosing to visit the border area.
He lamented the high number of security checkpoints on the highway to Seme from Lagos.
According to Hon. Gbenu, of all the security agencies only the Nigerian Airforce does not have checkpoints on the highway and called the comptroller general to address the issue.
The Chairman, Organizing Committee of CGC’s Visit, DC Steve Okonmah assured the comptroller general of the supports of officers and men of the Badagry Seme Customs command.
Okonmah thanked the Customs boss and his management team for honouring the command with their visit and prayed for God’s guidance and protection over them throughout their stay and whenever they return to Abuja.
