The Joint Border Operation Drill, Sector 3, says it has saved the Federal Government N703 million within two months of its operations in North Central Nigeria.
The Acting Coordinator of the Joint Border Operation Drill, Sector 3, Compt. Garba Mohammed told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Ilorin that the figure represented the monetary value of goods seized by the team since inception in December 2019.
NAN reports that Sector 3 of the task force covers Benue, Kogi, Kwara and Niger States.
Mohammed, however, explained that the goods excluded the number of illicit weapons recovered from suspects during the period under review.
”We have seized 12,255 bags of rice; 252 litres of petrol; 6, 617 litres of diesel; 177 vehicles; 80 motor vehicles and repatriated 160 illegal immigrants.
”We also recovered 11 illicit weapons which include five single barrels, one locally made pistol and cartridges.
”The weapons recovered have been handed over to ‘A’ Division Police Station in Kontagora and another one in Kogi ‘A’ Division,” Mohammed said.
The acting coordinator said in the course of the seizures, 30 arrests were made and they would be prosecuted.
”Thirty people were arrested in the course of the seizure and according to the law, we have no authority to detain people for more than 48 hours.
”So, based on the condition of the law, they have been released on administrative bail and our legal advisers are going on with the case in various courts,” Mohammed said.
NAN reports that the border drill is a task force set up by the Federal Government following the dangerous trend of insecurity in the country was tilting towards.
It is the highest task force set up by the office of the National Security Adviser, comprising all the security agencies in Nigeria to secure the land and maritime borders against smuggling, cattle rustling, child trafficking, the proliferation of small and light weapons, and illegal migration.
The border drill was also set up to ensure that neighbouring countries respect the agreements and protocol entered into between Nigeria and the rest of the countries.
NAN recalls that the border drill task force was set up in August 2019 to checkmate illegal activities, including security challenges, along Nigeria’s border communities. (NAN)
