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Defence/Security

Joint border security agencies arrest 33 migrants, seize several items

Joint border security agencies arrest 33 migrants, seize several items
By Mustapha Sumaila
Security
Abuja, Aug. 27, 2019 (NAN) The Inter-Security Task Force set up by the Federal Government to conduct joint border security in four geopolitical zones have arrested 33 illegal migrants and seized several items in a week operation.
The Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Mr Joseph Attah, said this in a statement in Abuja on Tuesday.
Attah explained that as at Monday, 33 illegal migrants were arrested, while 3,560 of 50kg bags of parboiled foreign rice had been seized.
He said 59 bags of NPK fertiliser; 15 vehicles; 12 drums of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS); three engine boats; 65 drums of groundnut oil and four trucks were also confiscated.
According to him, other items seized are 75 gallons of PMS; 29 motorcycles; 68 gallons of vegetable oil, and another 70 jerricans of PMS.
“The exercise, which commenced barely a week ago, has received appreciable support from members of the populace such as border community dwellers and other well-meaning Nigerians.
“The exercise, led by the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) and the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), in collaboration with the Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN) and the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) with other Security and Intelligence agencies, have continued to patrol and secure our border areas.
“While an exercise of this nature is likely to create some inconveniences to members of the public, the overriding interest is to prevent the country against transnational security concerns, such as smuggling, proliferation of small arms and light weapons.
“Other concerned issues are irregular migration, terrorism and armed banditry, among others,” he said.
Attah said this was consistent with the constitutional responsibility of any well-meaning government, hence the need to continue to seek the support of all and sundry to achieve the desired objectives of the exercise.
According to him, this will help to promote a secured, peaceful and prosperous Nigeria.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the joint border security exercise, codenamed “Exercise Swift Response”, commenced operation on Aug. 20.
It is set up to ensure a better security of the country’s territorial integrity, particularly the land and maritime borders against trans-border security concerns.
The exercise is being coordinated by Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) in the four zones of North-West, North-Central, South-West and South-South geopolitical zones. (NAN)
MS/MAS/MST
Edited by Moses Solanke/Muhammad Suleiman Tola

General news

12,974 irregular migrants return to Nigeria in 2 years, says UN-IOM

12,974 irregular migrants return to Nigeria in 2 years, says UN-IOM

By Emmanuel Acha
Migrants
Enugu, April 4, 2019 (NAN) The UN-International Organisation on Migration (IOM) says it has been involved in the evacuation of over 12,974 irregular migrants from certain countries back to Nigeria in the last two years.

The Public Information Officer of the organisation in Nigeria, Mr Jorge Galindo, disclosed this on Thursday in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Enugu.

Galindo spoke on the sidelines of a media dialogue with Nigerian editors and heads of media establishments organised by the Migration.

He said that out of the lot, the organisation had initiated integration programmes for about 5000.

He recalled that the IOM’s operations started in the country in 2001.

He said that they had since begun to implement a host of different projects in Abuja and Lagos as well as addressing humanitarian issues in North East Nigeria.

On the European Union/IOM Joint Initiative on Migration, Galindo said that their aim was to bring back about 13,000 irregular migrants trapped in Libya and other African countries back to Nigeria.

He said that the first flight that brought irregular migrants back to Nigeria under the initiative was was on April 11, 2017.

“We assist migrants returning from Libya, Mali and other countries by providing them with assistance, protection and channel them through appropriate integration programmes.

“There are still more migrants that are trapped in horrible
conditions in Libya and we will continue this programme for many more to return voluntarily and safely.

“We look at the profiles of the returnees and decide with them the best form of support they need,” he said.

Galindo said that the organisation also had the responsibility of alerting potential migrants in the country on what lay ahead if they chose irregular routes.

“We use community-based approach to share information in communities where these migrants come from.

“This is aimed at showing them the realities of dangerous journeys,” he said.

He, however, said that the process of reintegration was not without its challenges.

“We have spoken with a number of the returnees and they complain of stigmatisation by members of their communities.

“They are seen as people that have failed to fulfill their personal and family dreams.

“It is very important for us to reach out to these communities to inform them what harrowing experiences these returnees went through.

“People should be more sympathetic and provide them with the platform to communicate with one another,” Galindo said. (NAN)
EOA/MST
Edited by Muhammad Suleiman Tola

General news

(Video) NAN News Highlights for Mon., Aug. 20, 2018

1.The National Emergency Management Agency has urged Nigerians to be safety conscious during and after the Eid-el-Kabir celebration.

 

The Director-General of the  agency, Mr Mustapha Maihajja, who made the plea in Abuja on Monday, advised parents and guardians to be extra-vigilant while keeping watch over their children and wards.

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2.The Nigeria Immigration Service has rescued a 23-year-old girl from human traffickers in Katsina State.

The Comptroller of the service in the state, Mr Ajisafe Olusola, said the victim was rescued by its operatives at Kongolam, a border town with Niger Republic after traffickers took her from her parents on the pretense of securing a job for her abroad.

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3.The National Bureau of Statistics says a total of 509,668,433 transactions valued at N32.90 trillion were recorded in the banking sector during the second quarter.

The bureau stated this in its 2018 second quarter report on “Selected Banking Sector Data: Sectorial Breakdown of Credit, ePayment Channels and Staff Strength released in Abuja.

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4.The Federal Government has announced its recognition of the Amaju Pinnick-led executive as the authentic leadership of the Nigeria Football Federation.

Laolu Akande, Special Assistant to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, made the announcement on his official Twitter handle on Monday at 11.38 a.m., few minutes before the 12 p.m. deadline given by FIFA for the resolution of the leadership tussle in the Nigerian football governing body.

It said the government had already informed FIFA of the decision.

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5.Mali’s constitutional court on Monday confirmed President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita’s re-election in a run-off ballot, rejecting fraud accusations by the opposition candidateSoumaila Cisse.

The decision clears the way for Keita to be inaugurated next month for a second five-year term, at a time when Malian authorities are contending with rising violence by jihadist groups and ethnic militia.

Foreign

Irregular migration: Germany pledges to assist Nigeria

Irregular migration: Germany pledges to assist Nigeria
By Isaac Aregbesola
Migrants
Abuja, March 13, 2018 (NAN) German Ambassador to Nigeria, Dr Bernhard Schlagheck, has pledged his country’s support to assist Nigeria address the challenge of irregular migrants from Nigeria to other countries.
Dr Tope Elias-Fatile, the spokesperson, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the envoy stated this when he visited Foreign Affairs Minister Geoffrey Onyeama in Abuja.
NAN reports that Germany had initiated a vocational and skill acquisition programme for voluntary irregular migrant returnees from Germany.
The EU and Germany recently agreed to support Nigeria on the release of funds on vocational skills for migrants.
The programme was aimed at helping irregular migrants in Germany to return to Nigeria willingly rather being deported, and had something to fall back on upon returning.
Germany had in 2017 said that over 12,000 Nigerians were in the country seeking for asylum and might not be granted because there was no basis for that, but would be deported.
Fatile said that the German envoy also invited Nigeria to participate in the energy conference in Berlin in April.
“The ambassador expressed the belief that Nigeria would be interested in such conference and urged Nigeria to key in to the ongoing energy transition and statutory,” he said.
He said that the German example of energy transition could show that climate change was actually compatible with economic prosperity and growth which was very important.
Schlagheck had pledged to cooperate with Nigeria for an increase use of renewable energy and support the energy sector to improve access to electricity.
“The envoy also mentioned about the Bi-national commission between Nigeria and Germany which would be held in Germany in 2018.
“The ambassador noted that the last was held in Nigeria in 2017, stressing that preparation was going on for the next meeting in June in Germany,” he said.
Onyeama used the occasion to thank Germany for its humanitarian assistance to Nigerian especially in the North-east where Germany had raised about 90 million dollars to see how they could assist.
The minister said that Nigeria would be interested in the energy conference and the Bi-national commission scheduled for June this year. (NAN)
IAA/GOM/MST
Edited by Gregory Mmaduakolam/Muhammad Suleiman Tola

General news

Audio Attached: Germany to deport asylum seekers with failed applications

NAN-H-64

Asylum

By Temitope Ponle

Abuja, March 28, 2017 (NAN) Germany plans to deport asylum seekers whose applications have failed once it completes all procedures in line with international migration laws, a top official has said.

The German Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr Bernhard Schlagheck, who made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Tuesday, said the exercise would be a continuous one.

The German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, had said in January that more than 12,000 Nigerian asylum seekers in the country might be denied asylum status if they did not meet application requirements.

Cue in audio

“Germany has been doing its uttermost to comply with its international humanitarian obligations with regard to migrants and refugees enshrined, for instance, in the Geneva refugee convention and in particular with the prohibition of forced return in cases of political prosecution.

“If the internal and legal procedures in Germany have been concluded and basically asylum applications have been denied, then we will ask the migrants to leave and return home; if they do not, we will subtly deport them.

“So this will certainly be an ongoing exercise as long as there are migrants who are not entitled to stay in Germany.’’

Cue out audio

Schlagheck told NAN that Germany was working with the Nigerian government to facilitate procedures for returning asylum seekers and illegal migrants.

He further said that efforts were being made to continually return illegal migrants and assist with support for them.

The envoy did not, however, state the number of illegal Nigerian migrants that had been deported from Germany so far.

“I would say the figures are somewhat sketchy, but certainly we will see to it that persons who are not entitled to stay in Germany and do not have a humanitarian title to remain, have to leave.

“And here we are very strict and compliant with international norms and rules.

“There is a common interest and good cooperation with the Nigerian Government on that; this is a whole package that currently is being negotiated between the EU mission for all the European countries and the government of Nigeria,” he said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that the German constitution recognises several categories of asylum seekers and refugees which include those seeking protection from political persecution and those seeking protection as refugees.

An individual can earn refugee status if faced with a justified fear of persecution in the home country based on race, nationality, religion, membership of a social group, and/or political beliefs.

Another category includes those who qualify under subsidiary protection if at risk of serious injury in home country due to armed conflict, torture or inhumane treatment or one who faces the death penalty.

Individuals who do not qualify in any of the aforementioned categories maybe granted Prohibition of Deportation status if they truly face a substantial concrete danger or extreme general danger at their home country.

Those who apply for asylum for economic reasons are usually rejected. (NAN)

TOP/DOR/YEE

Edited by Nyisom Dore/Emmanuel Yashim

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Foreign

521 migrants die in Mediterranean sea in 9 weeks – IOM

521 migrants die in Mediterranean sea in 9 weeks – IOM

NAN-H-49

Campaign

By Isaac Aregbesola

Abuja, March 10, 2017 (NAN) The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) says 521 migrants, mainly from Nigeria and other West African countries, died while crossing the Mediterranean sea and desert to Italy between January and first of week of March.

The organisation in a statement on Friday said it would host an online press conference on March 15 to commence aggressive awareness campaign to discourage people from embarking on such journey.

The organization, which expressed worry over dangerous adventures by migrants from the region, explained that the figure was 50 more compared to the same period in 2016.

IOM added that other countries involved in the dangerous journey include Ivory Coast, Guinea, Senegal and Gambia.

“Some 521 migrants died or disappeared in the Mediterranean from the start of the year up to March 5, 2017, compared to 471 in the same period last year.

“ Some 19,348 migrants and refugees have arrived by sea in Europe, more than 80 per cent of them in Italy (15,760) and the rest in Spain (1,000) and Greece (2,624).

“In the first 65 days of 2016, the figures were much higher with 138,524 arrivals, 129,423 of them in Greece,” IOM said.

According to IOM, the great majority of the deaths from Jan. 1 to March 1 were on the central Mediterranean route from North Africa to Italy, a total of 477.

“Some of the migrants who make it to Europe and share their ordeal with the IOM reveal that their journey was far more dangerous than expected.

“Many are unaware of the dangers and risks of migrating with the assistance of smugglers, not only at sea or in the desert, but also in transit countries like Libya,” IOM stated.

It stated that most migrants, when recalling the life-threatening risks along their journey, are often tend not to share their experience with peers who are still back home.

It stated as part of efforts to save others who are unaware of the risk in the adventure, IOM was embarking on sensitisation campaign to inform migrants from the susceptible countries.

It stated that the campaign, tagged “The Aware Migrants Campaign’’, aimed to inform migrants from those countries about the dangers of migrating irregularly across the Sahara desert, Libya and the Mediterranean Sea.

It said that the campaign would focus on 15 countries mostly in West Africa plus Tunisia and Egypt.

It added that the campaign was launched in the target countries of transit and origin in Africa with social media, TV and radio spots.

It stated that Flavio Di Giacomo and Shiraz Jerbi, IOM Coordination Office for the Mediterranean – the UN Migration Agency would host an online press conference on the campaign. (NAN)

IAA/MST

Edited by Muhammad Suleiman Tola