Posted:
May 24, 2013 - 00:46
By SaharaReporters, New York
There are no fewer than 1,497 illegal
routes that lead into Nigeria. The startling disclosure was made earlier today
by Nigeria’s Interior Minister, Abba Moro.
Mr. Moro spoke in Abuja while briefing
the National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at
the party's national headquarters.
In order to
curb the security crisis associated with porous borders, the minister said
Nigeria needed more than $244 million. The fund would go into installation of
electronic surveillance round the nation's borders.
The minister added that the crisis of insecurity in the country was
being compounded by the operation of 30 illegal guard companies in the country.
He announced that only the operator of one of them had been arrested.
Mr. Moro also revealed that some scam artists “opened a website in the
name of the ministry which they have been using to dupe unsuspecting members of
the public.”
He added: “One of them even used my name
to open such [a] website, but we have been able to arrest him somewhere in
Asokoro, Abuja, when I asked one of his would-be victims to play along with
him.”
The minister underscored the fact that
Nigeria’s vast borders were porous, making it possible for the 1,497 illegal
routes to exist. "We are making efforts to procure appropriate modern
technology to be installed along our borders and we are collaborating the USAt
and a private Chinese company on this
"With the
assistance of the US State Department, we realised that some components of
the offer we got from the private firm was contained in what the State
Department would be offering us.
"When we have done
this, the temptation of illegal entry into Nigeria will be reduced".
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