President Muhammadu Buhari’s regime on Wednesday urged the cooperation of communities across the long stretch of the expansive territorial borders for effective policing as National Security Adviser Babagana Monguno said they were a cause for concern.

According to Mr Monguno, one of Nigeria’s challenges is porous borders.

“Nigeria’s extensive borderlands and maritime borders continue to be a major source of concern as they are likely porous and inadequately manned. This had aided irregular migration and other transnational organised crimes,” Mr Monguno told the gathering. 

However, he said the federal government “would continue to build the resilience of our communities against the risks and hazards that pulls the greatest threat to Nigerian people while reducing our vulnerability.”

Adamu Adaji, the director-general of the National Boundary Commission (NBC), made the call in Abuja during a one-day workshop on establishing a national consultative forum for chairpersons of state boundary committees of border states in Nigeria and border management agencies.

“It is a fact that providing effective policing across the long stretch of the expansive territorial borders would require not only the commitment of the combined security operatives but also the support of the border communities,” the NBC boss stated. “The national consultative forum is the first of its kind and, without fear of contradiction, would be a veritable platform for regular engagement between state authorities and national structure responsible for border management and regional authorities in proximate countries.”

Junaid Abdullahi, the executive secretary of the Border Communities Development Agency (BCDA), pledged “our unflinching support for the desire to transform this forum into an institutional mechanism for the engagement of all border management stakeholders for addressing issues and challenges in the implementation of the AU border governance strategies.”

Hamid Ali, the comptroller-general of the Nigeria Customs Service and Baba Usman, the inspector-general of police, restated their commitments to Nigeria’s border management in separate remarks.

Deputy governors of Benue, Kogi, Sokoto, Ondo, Ogun, Niger, Cross River, Adamawa, Yobe, Bayelsa, Akwa Ibom, Taraba, and Zamfara, among others and some traditional leaders attended the workshop.

(NAN)