www.punchng.com/news/boko-haram-police-raid-illegal-immigrants-in-six-states/

The police have embarked on massive arrests of
illegal immigrants in Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Kwara,
Akwa Ibom and Bayelsa states, among others, as
part of measures to prevent the Boko Haram terrorist
group from spreading its attacks to the states.
Saturday PUNCH learnt from a police source that
the Force embarked on the arrests of large number of
aliens in Lagos State as a way of flushing out those
perceived to be security threats.
This followed an attack allegedly carried out by a
female suicide bomber in Apapa area of the state on
June 25.
The source indicated that hundreds of such aliens
had been raided by the police from different parts of
the state.
Though Boko Haram has been operating only in
northern Nigeria, latest security reports indicate that
the sect’s foot soldiers had infiltrated other parts of
the country.
It was learnt that since the attack in Lagos, police as
well as the Nigeria Immigration Service stepped up
efforts armed at arresting illegal immigrants by
visiting parks and areas heavily populated by these
immigrants.
But the spokesperson for the Lagos State Police
Command, Ngozi Braide, told one of our
correspondents that the arrest of the aliens and
illegal immigrants was not unusual, describing it as
a “routine.”
She said, “It is not new. We go to uncompleted
buildings regularly to raid aliens. It is just part of
our normal exercise targeted at ridding the state of
illegality.”
Spokesperson for the Ogun State Police command, Mr.
Muyiwa Adejobi, said, “We are aware that there
may be pockets of Boko Haram insurgents here. We
are working based on that knowledge. It is only
sensible to think that if the North is becoming too
hot for the insurgents, they may want to come down
South. But the Commissioner of Police, Mr.
Ikemefuna Okoye, has put in place strategies for this
reason.
“Arresting illegal immigrants is just one of the many
options available to us. Other security agencies are
currently working with us on these strategies to
ensure that we do not experience any violent attack.”
Saturday PUNCH investigation also revealed that
the police had embarked on about 50 raids of
identified hot spots in Kwara State within the past
six months to forestall the incursion of members of
the Boko Haram fighters.
The Police Public Relations Officer, Kwara State
Command, Mr. Ajayi Okasanmi, in a telephone
interview with one of our correspondents, stated that
the state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Ambrose
Aisabor, had invigorated strategies aimed at
preventing the deadly sect from infiltrating the state.
He said, “We are not leaving any stone unturned to
ensure that there is no infiltration of insurgents in
the state. We have raided some hot spots in the state
for over 50 times within the last six months. We have
good relationship with members of the public who
provide us with useful intelligence.” The Ondo State
Police Command, in same vein, said that it was
working with the Nigerian Immigration Service to
ensure immigrants were scrutinised to prevent
criminals from gaining access to vital areas and
threatening the security of the state.
The command’s spokesperson, Wole Ogodo, said, that
viewing centres considered unsafe were advised to
close down so that terrorists do not find them as soft
spots to cause mayhem during the ongoing FIFA
World Cup in Brazil.
“It is not just a blanket shut down; we advised them
not to open because such places may not be safe. It
is an advice,” Ogodo said.
In May, a joint taskforce in Akwa Ibom State raided
markets and stalls in Itu and arrested dozens of
immigrants who were later handed over to the
Nigeria Immigration Service for verification and
possible repatriation.
Saturday PUNCH investigation revealed that 612
irregular immigrants were arrested in Akwa Ibom
and repatriated to their various countries of origins
in May, 2014. The state NIS Comptroller, Mr.
Abdullahi Garba, in Uyo during the week warned
employers of labour against patronising the services
of irregular immigrants, adding that they might be
baits used by terrorist groups to carry out attacks on
innocent citizens.
The Public Relations Officer, Akwa Ibom State Police
Command, Mr. Etim Dickson, said, “We have a
bomb disposal unit that takes care of anything
gaseous or more. Although this incidence has not
occurred in the state, we have taken a number of
precautions like positioning our bomb disposal unit
in public places such as motor parks, churches,
airports, seaports or any other place that attracts
large gatherings.”
According to Saturday PUNCH investigation, Oyo
State Police Command are also working
underground to rid the state of aliens, illegal
immigrants and people of questionable characters.
In the last few weeks, plain clothed policemen have
been present at major markets and bus stations.
They mingle with the crowd but look out for their
targets. The targets are people who could be
standing idly in public places.
A detective, who asked not to be named, said, “The
police will not tell you what they are doing to
ensure security. Such information is classified. It is
top secret. But one of the measures the police are
putting in place is to pick people suspected of being
idle, especially in markets, bus stops and public
places where many people are found at the same
time. That is the kind of target that the terrorists pick
as target points in order to get maximum casualty
figure.
Bayelsa State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Hilary
Opara, said the police authorities in the state had
sensitised members of the public to monitor their
environment, homes and business premises.
On raiding of aliens, the police boss said the
command was liasing with the Immigration
authorities in the state.
Opara added, “Actually, the Nigeria Immigration
Service has apprehended persons that do not have
genuine papers residing in Bayelsa.
“Those who have uncompleted buildings have been
asked to either complete them or evict those living
there illegally.”