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By Amos Odhe
The zonal coordinator of the Nigeria Immigration Service Zone C, with headquarters in Bauchi State and covering Plateau State and the North East (Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Yobe states), ACG James Sunday has launched a security operation tagged ‘Operation Tsaron Iyaka,’ meaning ‘Operation Secured Border,’ to tackle smuggling of farming produce outside Nigeria.
The operation, according to Assistant Comptroller General (ACG) James Sunday, is targeted at combating cross border movement of food products like rice, beans, onion, yam and other agricultural commodities that may lead to price flight in the local markets and escalate food shortages and price hike for consumable food prices.
He noted that the security action is expected to prevent food shortage and pocket of reactions by our locals who are feeling the bite of food price hike, and also checkmate head-on the criminal enterprise.
ACG James Sunday said the security operation by the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), in collaboration with other relevant security agencies especially the Nigeria Customs Service and plant Quarantine Services, will direct operatives to be more efficient in ensuring that food items are not allowed to go through the borders in trucks and lorries.
“We expect that quantities meant for family consumptions only will be allowed and the operatives are poised to ensure water tight border security with respect to ensuring food security for the nation.
“Under the watch of the Comptroller General of Immigration Service Caroline Wuraola Adepoju whose body language connotes that every operative at the border must be patriotic and committed to the renewed hope agenda of the government by our contributions to border security and promoting good neighborliness by sharing common intelligence on border security and food security at this critical time in the life of the country.
“The comptrollers of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe, who are directly on the North East border of Nigeria, will work with hinterland states of Bauchi, Gombe and Plateau to monitor through the Divisional Immigration Officers in the local governments adjoining the states to share intelligence on movements of huge quantity of our food produce in vehicles heading towards the border states.
“They will also monitor the movement to frustrate their getting to destination outside the country, thereby averting the impending food shortages and hike in prices of the same food stuff we produce locally such as rice, beans and other food items on high demand by our neighbors, by blocking access road network and transit routes for the transportation of the products from source to their destination.
“It is a critical decision that must be taken by the Nigeria Immigration Service, Zone C, alongside the commands under it to assist government in the interception and blockade of sabotage and ill-conceived food businesses that may result into food shortage and public outcry with respect to food security.
“We are poised to work with the state governments of the states in the North East and Plateau, under my watch we are ready to champion this patriotic move to checkmate market forces, irregular movement of food produce that should be in our local market within the country and is being hoarded by unpatriotic farmers.
“Also unscrupulous quick money making traders in farm produce who will rather sacrifice the interests of the citizens to the money they will make from hoarding, hike in price and smuggling of food produce out of the country.
“Our joint operation with other relevant border security agencies will pay off and checkmate the excesses of these elements in their evil enterprise that is against government good intentions, we are willing, ready and able to ensure air tight border crossing operations in the course of our national duty in this new operational strategy of the Nigeria Immigration Service, Zone C Headquarters, Bauchi,” he said.
