Comptroller General Nigerian Immigration Service (CG NIS) Kemi Nanna Nandap has said Diaspora sponsors of #EndBadGovernance protesters are being watch-listed and will be arrested upon arriving in the country.
Nandap disclosed this Tuesday at a meeting of heads of security agencies and Service Chiefs convened by the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, at the Defense Headquarters, Abuja.
She said: “We have diaspora sponsors, they are on our watchlist. They are watchlisted, any attempt they make to come into the country, we’ll be notified and they will be picked up and handed to appropriate authority.”
The Immigration boss said the Service had, in response to the protest, deployed more officers to borders both land and airports to ensure effective manning of those entry points.
Nandap said the Service had also stepped up surveillance to prevent foreign intervention in the country.
“But for us at NIS, what we’ve done is we deployed a lot of our offices to the borders to make sure that our borders are well protected, they’re well patrolled, and the surveillance there is up to par.
“And also in terms of profiling, and in terms of profiling of people coming in and going out of the country, we have stepped that up to make sure that people that are of interest or people that are not wanted are properly screened before they come into the country. And those that are of interest, of course, are not allowed in. So right now, both the airports, the land borders and our sea borders as well are well manned and protected,” she said.
…CDS
Also speaking at the meeting, CDS Musa clarified that the military and sister security agencies were not after peaceful protesters but those behind the call for undemocratic change of government.
Musa said the military knew that some protesters calling for regime change were sponsored, adding that the military and other security agencies were trailing them to bring them to book.
He said: “I want to appreciate Nigerians for their understanding, for their commitment to upholding the law and order. We have had issues in the past few days, but you can see that people have seen reason for us not to continue with the destruction, to stop the looting, to stop giving opportunities for others to subvert our nation and to destroy our nation.
“They have also seen reasons to join hands together with the security forces to make Nigeria better. We want to assure them we on this side that we are fully committed to Nigeria, we love the country, we are mindful of the fact that we have been equipped and so we are duty bound to protect the country. We are only after those that are against the states, not those that are innocent.
“So, I want to make that very clear and we will continue to work together as a team to support Mr. President in achieving his mandate of peace and tranquility in our dear country Nigeria.”
The defence chief called for calm, mediation, discussion, dialogue towards national unity and cohesion as one great country.
Describing the Nigerian military as people centric in all its activities, the CDS said they, as professionals, were not interested in anybody being killed or injured or being prosecuted, except those that had crossed the line.
The CDS said the joint news conference was an opportunity to show that the military and all the security agencies were working as a team in line with the mandate of Mr. President.
…Says attack on mosques, churches shameful
Also in an interview with the BBC Hausa Service monitored in Abuja, Musa said it was a shameful act by miscreants to hide under the guise of protest and attack mosques and churches.
While warning that the military would not tolerate further acts of violence, he said: “Those hoisting flags of other countries in Nigeria were not doing the right. It’s wrong.”
He said they had been watching the police handling of the situation, warning the military won’t watch the nation’s peace and tranquility disrupted.
… IGP
In his remarks, the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, said security agencies had successfully identified and blocked sources of external funding for violent protests in Nigeria.
According to the IGP, the police were careful in managing the crisis and did not deploy water cannons or rubber bullets.
The police chief hinted that the shooting of an innocent protester in Kubwa, Abuja, was not the work of security operatives.
He noted that the shooting might have been carried out by robbers or armed hoodlums.
“Nobody fired gunshots and we didn’t use force. In the midst of the protest, we arrested criminals who stole and committed other offences.
“Since August 1, nobody has fired gunshots and we didn’t use force on innocent protesters. We only provided security for them. Even in the midst of the protest, we have arrested several armed robbers, criminal elements who stole and committed other offenses.”
…Army chief Lagbaja
On his part, the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt.-Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja, said the main operational commitment of the army was to deploy resources to combat the protests that had turned riots to ensure sustainable peace in the country.
Lagbaja said the army, under his command, was more concerned about bringing the country to a state of sustainable peace and security, adding that attention had not been diverted from its main operational commitment in combating terrorism and banditry.
He said: “I checked the number of patrols that troops conduct, the number of ambushes that are undertaken on daily basis, the number of violent insurgents that have been eliminated, incapacitated and other indices, and it has not dropped by whatever measure.
“Also, we have continued to expand the frontier of peace and security in Borno state. The IDPs are being returned back to Kukawa and some other places as I speak to you, which are indices of return to peace and stability.
“So, the troops are not relenting in their operational commitment in the field on our contingency plan in the event that the situation degenerates. I want to also assure you that our estimates looking into the future suggests that the situation will not degenerate, but we need cooperation of every stakeholder in Nigeria to achieve that.”
…NSCDC
On his part, the Commandant General, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps(NSCDC), Ahmed Audi, said the Corps was working closely with relevant security agencies to prevent attacks on critical national infrastructure.
He said the Corps deployed a sizable number of personnel and arrested some persons who attempted to vandalise critical infrastructure during the protests.
He added that the Corps recognizes the constitutional rights of Nigerians to protest but the rights should be exercised without violence.
“We are working very closely with all security agencies, especially the police. We are working very closely and we have deployed sizeable number of staff, you know, all over the federation.
“We have also made some arrest, especially those who were trying to attack critical national assets. And we have seen that really in the history of protests, there’s no protest that has been done successfully, you know, without some form of violence or the other. And this one is really not a protest from what we have seen.
“There are reports and there are agitations of regime change and that is treasonable in nature. And so, let me say that we are going to work very closely together, sustain and even, you know, one above the present situation of the form of operation that these crisis had been.
“We are ready, we are championing the course of peace, trying to, you know, to change Nigerians that there’s no need for this protest and that if you want to do protest, if you do protest without violence. And so we are ready and we are poised to work with all agencies to make sure that this protest, this situation is nipped in the board,” Audi said.
…From DSS
Also addressing the gathering, Director General Department of State Services(DSS) Yusuf Bichi said the agency had uncovered some sponsors but declined given further information .
Represented by the Service spokesman, Dr. Peter Afunanya, the DG said some sponsors were being tracked and others arrested.