Lucky Obukohwo, Reporting
NIGERIA, ABUJA – The House of Representatives has raised the concern over the 1,894 illegal entry routes into Nigeria, blaming it on the porosity of the country’s borders.
The chairman, House Ad-hoc Committee on Border Security, Isa Mohammed Anka, while speaking at the inaugural meeting of the panel, on Tuesday, said the development is a challenge to border security in the country.
He said that in recent years, Nigeria has witnessed an increase in various kinds of cross border crimes, which threatens the security of the country.
Anka added that it is alarming that despite the expenditure of about N9 trillion on securities in recent years, there are no commensurate results.
ALSO READ: Miss Universe Director Fired Over Insult to Mexico’s Representative
His words “in recent years, we have witnessed an escalation in illegal cross-border activities that threatens our national security, such as illegal arms smuggling, human trafficking and drug smuggling, among others.
“It is noteworthy that our borders are porous, with many unofficial routes for smuggling goods.
“We also need to ask ourselves some of the contributing factors leading to poor border security which include, “Inadequate Resources: Border security agencies suffer from inadequate funding, poor logistics, ineffective and outdated surveillance equipment and shortage of personnel.
“Difficult Terrain: A lot of our borders are located in difficult terrains like thick forests, distant rivers, mountains and deserts, making them tough to police effectively.
“Numerous illegal entry points: A recent report from Research Gate highlighted that out of Nigeria’s 1,978 entry points only 84 are officially manned by security operatives, leaving 1,894 illegal routes. This is a disturbing statistic and shows a gap in our defences.”
He also identified the attitude of some border security officials as a set back to the effective policing of the country ‘s borders, noting that “it is alarming that despite significant government expenditure, which has exceeded N9 trillion over the past years, we are yet to attain commensurate gains in our security landscape.”
He assured that the panel would come up with appropriate strategies and recommendations that will help to enhance border security.
According to him “The challenges are immense, but so is our resolve. By combining strategic action with a commitment to regional and community-level partnerships, we can and will reclaim control of our borders and build a more secure future for all.”