By Olusegun Olanrewaju with the agency report
The Comptroller General of Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), Kemi Nandap has revealed that the Federal Government has placed the sponsors of #EndBadGovernance protest in diaspora on watch list assuring that they will be arrested when entering the country.
Nandap made this known yesterday in Abuja during a combined news conference by the heads of security agencies and Service Chiefs convened by the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Christopher Musa at the Defence Headquarters.
She said “we have identified some diaspora sponsors; they are on our watch list.
“Any attempt they make to come into the country, we will 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 ports.
She said that NIS had also stepped-up surveillance to prevent foreign intervention in the country.
The Inspector-General of Police, Mr Kayode Egbetokun, also said that the police had uncovered some sponsors but declined giving further information on them.
Egbetokun said that some accounts of such individuals had been blocked, adding that “many of them reside abroad”.
Also, the Director General, Department of State Services, Mr Yusuf Bichi, represented by the service’s spokesman, Mr Peter Afunanya, said that the service was monitoring those concerned.
He added that the service was also working with the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit to identify more persons behind the funding of the protest.
Also, the Chief of Defence Staff CDS), Gen. Christopher Musa, yesterday noted that the military and security agencies are going after those behind the call for an undemocratic change of government in the country.
The CDS said this during a combined news conference by the heads of security agencies and service chiefs at the Defence Headquarters (DHQ) in Abuja.
He said the military knew that some protesters calling for regime changes were sponsored.
Musa added that the military and other security agencies were also trailing suspects to bring them to book.
His words: “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.”
The CDS added, “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 tranquillity in our dear country, Nigeria.”
Gen. Musa called for the collaboration of all other agencies to ensure that they achieve success and called for calm, mediation, and dialogue towards national unity and cohesion as one great country.
Describing the Nigerian military as people-centric in all its activities, he said they are not interested in anybody being killed or injured, or being prosecuted, ”except those that have crossed the line”.
The armed forces head stated that 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 the president.
On his part, the Chief of Army Staff COAS), Lt.-Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja, said the main operational commitment of the army is to deploy resources to combat the protests that have 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.
According to him, attention has not been diverted from its main operational commitment in combating terrorism and banditry.
The COAS said, “I checked the number of patrols that troops conduct; the number of ambushes that are undertaken on a 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.
“Internally Displaced Persons 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.
Lagbaja further stated, “I want to also assure you that our estimates looking into the future suggest that the situation will not degenerate, but we need the cooperation of every stakeholder in Nigeria to achieve that.”
The Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Adm. Emmanuel Ogalla, said the Navy had continued to work with other services and security agencies to ensure safety and security in the maritime domain.
Ogalla reiterated the commitment of the Navy to sustaining its operations in the Niger Delta to ensure that the nation meets its oil production capacity.
He said the operations had led to an increase in oil output and boosted the revenue generation from oil that would help the nation to meet the needs of the citizens.
On his own part, the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Hasan Abubakar, said the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) remains committed to ensuring successful operations in all the operational engagements of the armed forces.
He said the military was mindful of its commitment to defending the territorial integrity of the nation.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the Chiefs of Army, Navy, Air Force and Defence, as well as the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) and representative of the Director-General of the Department of State Service (DSS), made presentations.
Also in attendance were the Comptroller-General of Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Comptroller-General of Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), as well as the Commander-General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps. NAN.
