In what appears to be a follow-up on the arrest of some suspected Boko Haram sect members in Lagos last Thursday, the State Police Command and the State Task Force on Environmental Offenses have arrested a total of 92 suspects from various parts of the state.
Among the suspects were 57 Nigeriens and 18 Malians, who according to the Nigeria Immigration Service, NIS, are illegal immigrants, living in Nigeria without required documents.
The 57 Nigeriens were yesterday deported to their home country by the NIS.
Parading the suspects shortly before they were deported, the Comptroller of Immigration, Lagos State Command, Mr. Rasheed Odupeyin, said no weapon was found on any of the suspects but had to be repatriated for living in Nigeria illegally.
Rasheed said: “Some suspected illegal immigrants were brought here by the police and the Lagos State Government. They were about 92 people, made up of Nigeriens, Malians and few Nigerians. Some have left this morning to the border post, while the others are waiting for a commercial bus that would be used to convey them out of the country. We are being careful so as not to break human rights laws.”
He confirmed that the suspects were arrested in a joint operations between the state Police Command and the Lagos State Task Force but added that he could not say whether the suspects had links with terrorist group or not.
The NIS boss said that after the 92 arrested suspects were thoroughly screened, 17 were found to be Nigerians, saying they would be returned to the police for further investigation to establish their culpability or otherwise.
“We normally look out for documents that permit a foreigner to remain in Nigeria. We discovered that most of them were not registered that is why we call them irregular immigrants. If they had gained access into the country and regularised their stay we would not have problem with them.
“Normally what they should have done is to obtain ECOWAS certificate or their passport then, we register them at the border. We get their addresses in case anything happens so we know where to pick them up,” the NIS boss said.
Rasheed also announced that the 18 Malians among the suspects may not be repatriated immediately because of the ongoing war in Mali. He, however, said no Chadian was found among them.
According to him: “NIS will contact the United Nations Refugees Commission’s office in Lagos for necessary action about the status of the Malians. We are waiting for their advice on what to do with the Malians.”
He advised Nigerians not to shield illegal immigrants in their locality, saying to allow them is to endanger ones’ life and the lives of other people.
One of the suspects, a Nigerian, Ibrahim Mohammed, claimed that most of them were from Takai in Kano State, insisting that they have no links with any terrorist group but were in Lagos to earn a living as labourers.
Another of the suspects, a Malian who simply identified himself as Amadu claimed he came to Nigeria from Mali through the border town of Kamba, in Kebbi State, claiming however that he had no criminal records.
He said though he was living in Nigeria illegally, he had been able to secure a job as a water vendor in Surulere. Bulali Sangali, another suspect from Segu in Mali said he came into Nigeria through Cotonou, Benin Republic.
He said: “They did not stop me on my way. They asked me for my passport which I gave them. I sell ice cream in Nigeria. I came into this country with my passport but when police caught me, I had no passport with me. I have explained to them that my passport is at home but they refused.
I came to Nigeria in 2009 and in 2012, I left to see my family and returned early this year.”
The state government said it is embarking on intensive security surveillance following the discovery of the hideout of suspected Boko Haram sect members in Ijora Badiya.
In a related development, Governor Babatunde Fashola held a ‘strategic’ meeting with top security chiefs in the state yesterday, including the Neighbourhood Watch officers at the Blue Roof, LTV8, Agidingbi.
Although journalists were barred from covering the meeting, a source who was privy to issues discussed told National Mirror that the thrust of the meeting bordered on the need for the state security apparatus to double their efforts to prevent the deadly sect from infiltrating Lagos.
Therefore, illegal aliens, abandoned buildings and vehicles would henceforth receive special attention, even as the government urged residents to be on the lookout for strange faces and developments in their domains.
The source also said that the governor promised to give all necessary support to the Neighbourhood Watch and the state security outfit to enable them carry out surveillance at the grassroots level.
At the meeting, attended by hundreds of representatives of various Community Development Association, CDAs, and Community Development Committees, CDCs, and members of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, NURTW, how to flush out illegal aliens in the state was also discussed. There were also indications that abandoned buildings may be taken over by government while abandoned vehicles may be impounded.
The governor had recently underscored the need for the involvement of every stakeholder in governance for the wellbeing of the society, urging residents to spread the gospel of vigilance in their neighbourhoods and report any strange movement of people or abandoned vehicles in their domain.
Meanwhile, the Yoruba socio-cultural group, Afenifere, has called for a thorough investigation into the allegation that the Bayelsa State Government owns the building suspected to be a terrorists’ hideout in Lagos. The Ojora of Ijora, Oba Fatai Aromire, had said that the house where nine suspected terrorists, including a Chadian, were arrested in Ijora Badia in Lagos belongs to Bayelsa State.
The monarch made the allegation while receiving a delegation of Hausa community on Monday.
In a statement made available to National Mirror by the National Publicity Secretary of Afenifere, Mr. Yinka Odumakin, the group said it is imperative that a thorough investigation is launched into the allegation.
Odumakin said: “The claim by the Ojora raises a red flag that cannot be ignored given the psychological warfare that has been waged against Yorubaland of possible terror attack for about a year now. What has largely been perceived as a threat is assuming near reality with the discovery of this terrorists’ hideout.
“We are compelled at this stage to call for a thorough investigation of this incident to ascertain the following: Who these suspects are and what links do they have with the Boko Haram? Why the Bayelsa State Government would maintain an abandoned property in Ijora Badia of all places in Lagos? The veracity of claims that the Bayelsa State Government has been approached several times by the community to demolish the house or give it to people who may use it without any response.”
According to him: “A satisfactory explanation to the posers would dispel the conspiracy theory that Boko Haram may have become a franchise under which fifth columnists may be operating to disrupt the peace of Yorubaland and instigate a national crisis with our land as a possible battle ground.
“We would not accept any shoddy handling of this case as has happened in too many of such incidents in recent past with suspects paraded and nothing is heard again.
“We also warn all agents of terror to stay away from the Yoruba nation in order not to invoke the wrath of our ancestors. “Yoruba people are peace-loving and our land is a place where people from all nationalities from Nigeria are at home without any fear of molestation. Any group or individual who want to shatter the peace of the region can only meet their Waterloo.
“Finally, we call on our people to be vigilant at all times and report suspicious movements to the appropriate authority,” Afenifere said
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