February 11, (THEWILL) – The Assistant Comptroller General/Zonal Coordinator Nigeria Immigration Service, Zone C, Headquarters, Bauchi, covering the North-East and Plateau (Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Yobe and Plateau 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 Security operation, according to ACG James Sunday, is targeted at mitigating against 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 hikes for consumable food prices.
He noted that the security action is expected to prevent food shortage and a pocket of reactions by our locals, who are feeling the bites of food price hikes and checkmate head-on to frustrate 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 consumption 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 Comptroller General of Immigration Service, Caroline Wuraola Adepoju, PCC, 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 neighbourliness, 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 are directly on the North-East Border of Nigeria and 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 they’re getting to a destination outside the country, thereby averting the impending food shortages and hikes in prices of the same foodstuff we produce locally such as; Rice, Beans and other food items in 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 the government in the interception and blockade of sabotage and ill-conceived food businesses that may result in 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.”
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