Immigration CG: Buhari has given us more responsibilities… borders will be safer now

Muhammed Babandede, comptroller-general of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), says President Muhammadu Buhari has given the agency more responsibilities on securing the nation’s borders.

Babandede stated this on Friday, after a closed-door meeting with the president in Abuja.

Speaking with state house correspondents after the meeting, the comptroller-general said the agency has also put new measures in place to address illegal immigration.

“I came to brief Mr President because he has tasked us individually as people in the agency responsible for security like us, to see what we can do to make Nigeria safer, greater and more attractive,” NAN quoted Babandede as saying.

“As we are all aware, NIS is a security agency that is responsible for borders. At the same time, it is an agency that contributes to the ease of doing business.

“So today, I’ve been able to brief Mr President on what we are doing and he has given me additional responsibilities on what we can do to make this country safer and better.

“Nigerians should be happier that the borders will be safer now than before, and efforts will be made to make sure there is no counter-crossing across our borders.

“All persons who are in our country, who are non-Nigerians, we must monitor to see what they’re doing that are of benefit to this country.”

According to him, the president also called for measures to ensure that foreigners do not deprive Nigerians of business opportunities.

“As you are aware, each person enters Nigeria with a condition, whether to do a business or to establish a business, but not to take the business of Nigerians,” he said.

“So, Mr. President has tasked us to make sure we look at this issue deeply to make sure that Nigerian labour is protected, Nigerian economy is protected, not taken away by foreigners who just come to do business and take away the money and not to invest.

“I’m glad to say that Mr President has tasked us further. I may not be able to reveal those tasks, but we’ll do our best to keep Nigeria safer through effective border management and control.”