A Professor of Criminology and Sociology of Law, Moses Udo Ikoh, made the identification.

Ikoh, who lectures in the Department of Sociology and doubles as the Director of Academic Planning, Federal University, Lafia,  Nasarawa State, while delivering the second inaugural lecture of the university, disclosed that Nigeria currently had 1,400 illegal borders.

He maintained that that made it possible for human traffickers, bandits, terrorists, drug peddlers and others who engaged in organised crimes to sneak into the country and carry out their criminal activities without hindrances.

Ikoh, in the lecture titled, “Sociology of the criminal, Arc of tension, and harvest of insecurity in Nigeria: Patterns, linkages and Implications for National security”,  insisted that Nigeria was not winning the war against terror because of leakage of intelligence information, insiders collaboration and existence of moles.

He said the incident at Ibi in Taraba State, on August 7,  2019, where soldiers had to kill policemen on lawful duties to set a kidnap kingpin free, suggested lack of cooperation among security agencies in the country.

According to him, “There is a growing recognition in the world that insecurity as experienced in Nigeria via “invasion and succession” and terrorism is a transnational problem; and that immigrants can also cause serious security problems, in their country of destination.

“For this reason, countries have had to place serious checks at their borders. In Nigeria, a whole Ministry of Internal Affairs, with the Department of Custom Services is in charge of policing the borders.

“Nigeria has conservatively 1,400 illegal borders, which stretch mostly across the arc of tension. These porous borders have made infiltration of organized criminals possible; as well as trafficking in arms and ammunition, trafficking in persons, and drugs. It is also possible for organised criminal gangs with or without base in the country to sneak into the country and carry out their operation and return to their bases in Niger, Chad, and Mali, unhindered.”

He stated that there is a need to take a second look at the joint task force with neighbouring countries and eradicate all forms of corruption among members of the armed forces.

He said: “There is need to take a second look at the operation of the Joint Task Force that Nigeria has with Chad, Niger and Cameroun for the fight against terrorism. It appears the security forces may be willing to engage in the theatre of war against the terrorists, but lack the necessary weapons and technology that can give them operational advantage. There is the need for procurement of sophisticated weapons, joint combat training, and battle design to eliminate the insurgents who are increasing in number every year.

“Eradication of corruption among members of the armed forces is needed. When President Goodluck Jonathan lamented that Boko Haram had infiltrated the security agencies and even his government, it was not investigated further.

“But as it is, Nigeria is not winning the war against terror as effectively as it should have because of leakage of intelligence information, insiders collaboration, and existence of moles. The recent incident at Ibi in Taraba State (7th Aug. 2019), where soldiers had to kill policemen on lawful duties to set a kidnap kingpin free, suggests lack of cooperation among the security organs.

“Climate change is worsening the environmental conditions in the Sahel region with intense desertification. The Lake Chad Basin is shrinking, and is adversely affecting the lives of millions of the people that depend on it. The truth is that arable and grazing lands are shrinking. The consequence is increasing the rate of violent crimes.

“Libya should be made to work. The impact of lack of government in Libya is exerting significant negative effect on Mali, Chad, Niger, Burkina Faso, and even Ivory Coast. The African Union (AU) may not have to interfere in the affairs of members States, but it is not out of place to try to reconcile faction leaders in that country to form one strong united government.

“The failure of government in Libya is enhancing the strength of terrorist groups in the Sahel region, and Nigeria is being affected. The North East Development Commission (NEDC) should not only be involved in reconstruction and rehabilitation of people in the war torn communities and local government areas.

“The National Orientation Agency (NOA) should be strengthened to sensitize the public on the inculcation of national values. When the primary groups and social institutions are recognized as centres of values allocation and defence, national values can well be internalised and propagated and practised.”

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Calling on governors and legislators to be careful and watchful, he said the action of the president might be laying a foundation for future “political viruses.”

He charged constitutional lawyers and legislators in the country to educate Nigerians on whether or not the president had the right to close down state borders as he did in Lagos, Ogun and the Federal Capital Territory.

Soyinka’s warning is contained in a statement which he said was issued from self-quarantine.

The statement by Soyinka reads in full:

BETWEEN COVID AND CONSTITUTIONAL ENCROACHMENT

Constitutional lawyers and our elected representatives should kindly step into this and educate us, mere lay minds. The worst development I can conceive is to have a situation where rational measures for the containment of the Corona pandemic are rejected on account of their questionable genesis. This is a time for Unity of Purpose, not nitpicking dissensions.

So, before this becomes a habit, a question: does President Buhari have the powers to close down state borders? We want clear answers. We are not in a war emergency. Appropriately focussed on measures for the saving lives and committed to making sacrifices for the preservation of our communities, we should nonetheless remain alert to any encroachment on constitutionally demarcated powers. We need to exercise collective vigilance, and not compromise the future by submitting to interventions that are not backed by law and constitution.

A President who has been conspicuously AWOL, the Rip van Winkle of Nigerian history, is now alleged to have woken up after a prolonged siesta and begun to issue orders. Who actually instigates these orders anyway? From where do they really emerge? What happens when the orders conflict with state measures, the product of a systematic containment strategy- – `including even trial-and-error and hiccups — undertaken without let or leave of the Centre.

So far, the anti-COVID19 measures have proceeded along the rails of decentralised thinking, multilateral collaboration and technical exchanges between states.  The Centre is obviously part of the entire process, and one expects this to be the norm, even without the epidemic’s frontal assault on the Presidency itself. Indeed, the Centre is expected to drive the overall effort, but in collaboration, with extraordinary budgeting and refurbishing of facilities. The universal imperative and urgency of this affliction should not become an opportunistic launch pad for a sneak RE-CENTRALISATION, no matter how seemingly insignificant its appearance.

I urge governors and legislators to be especially watchful. No epidemic is ever cured with constitutional piracy. It only lays down new political viruses for the future.

Wole SOYINKA

from Self-Quarantine,

ARI, Ijegba.

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This was as President Buhari explained that the partial closure of Nigeria’s borders was not caused solely because food products, particularly rice, were being smuggled into Nigeria, but also because arms and ammunition, as well as hard drugs were being ferried into Nigeria.

Holding a bilateral meeting Monday in London at the sidelines of UK-Africa Investment Summit 2020 with President Nana Akufo-Addo of Ghana, the Nigerian leader said he could not keep his eyes open, and watch youths being destroyed through cheap hard drugs, and compromised security caused by unbridled influx of small arms.

“When most of the vehicles carrying rice and other food products through our land borders are intercepted, you find cheap hard drugs, and small arms, under the food products. This has terrible consequences for any country,” President Buhari said.

He said it was regrettable that the partial border closure was having “negative economic impact on our neighbours,” but added that “we cannot leave our country, particularly the youths, endangered.”

The President said the Sahel region was awash with small arms, which accounts for severe security challenges in Mali, Chad, Burkina Faso, Niger and Nigeria.

“We are in fact the biggest victims,” he lamented.

On time frame for reopening the borders, President Buhari said it would not happen till the final report of a committee set up on the matter was submitted and considered.

“We will get things sorted out. Our farmers, especially those who grow rice, now have a market, and are happy, and we are also concerned about hard drugs and weapons. Once the committee comes up with its recommendations, we will sit and consider them,” the President said.

President Akufo-Addo, while showing understanding of the need for Nigeria to protect her citizens, pleaded for “an expedited process, because the Nigerian market is significant for certain categories of business people in Ghana.”

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Onyeama said this on Monday, in Abuja, after a joint ministerial meeting with his Agriculture and Rural Development counterpart, Audu Ogbeh, over cross border issues.

The joint ministerial meeting was held in preparation for the forthcoming tripartite anti-smuggling committee meeting comprising Nigeria, Benin, and Niger Republic.

Also at the meeting were the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Immigration Service, Mohammed Babandede, and the Comptroller-General of Customs, Colonel Hameed Ali.

The minister expressed the current administration’s determination to holistically address the issues by working with neighbouring countries.

Onyeama said that the current efforts aimed at tackling smuggling in the borders of the affected countries would yield results.

“I think the political will is really there now to finally and definitively address this issue,” Onyeama stated.

According to him, President Muhammadu Buhari has set up a committee comprising the ministries of Foreign Affairs, Agriculture, Justice, Finance and Interior; as well as the Nigeria Immigration Service and the Nigeria Customs Service over the issue.

“He has also asked the governments of Niger and Benin to set up similar committees in the two countries and to also meet.

“So, we are planning to have a meeting of those committees in the very near future.

“This is a preparatory meeting between us to revisit all the issues, come up with a common position and present that to Mr President so that we can have a basis for engaging with those other countries,’’ Onyeama said.

On his part, Ogbeh said the meeting, under the chairmanship of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, discussed issues on the nation’s borders, particularly on security and how they affected local economic activities.

“Mr President has asked us to send in some recommendations. I think we are done.

“We are recommending that we deploy all the diplomatic channels according to the agreements we had before to reach a situation where we can bring to an end, issues which are not in line with our policy and our survival,” he said.

He said that the perennial insecurity in the country, weapons coming into the country and smuggling, necessitated the meeting.

“We just want to take steps to make sure that we increase security and make Nigerians happier,’’ Onyeama said.

Source:  NAN

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