Rose Ejembi, Makurdi
In furtherance to the fight against the coronavirus global pandemic, the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) has deployed more personnel around the nation’s land borders to strengthen restrictions of movements in order to reduce the influx of foreigners into the country.
The Benue Comptroller of NIS, Oko-jaja Dango paid a working visit to Abende community in Kwande local government area, a border community dividing Cameroon from Benue State, to ascertain the level of compliance to the restriction order.
The NIS boss disclosed that the visit was part of measures to control the spread of the Coronavirus in the country.
Recall that Kwande Local government area is host to thousands of Cameroonian refugees who fled their country over two years ago following the political crisis that broke out in their country.
Our correspondent gathered that Cameroonians were gaining easy access into the country through Abende community which is almost like a walking distance to the southern part of Cameroon.
The Federal Government is particularly worried about the possibility of a chink in border security as it would hamper measures put in place to check the entrance and spread of the Coronavirus in the country.
Recall also that on 9th of April, 2020, Cameroon confirmed Coronavirus Cases Numbering up to 730 with 10 deaths and 60 recoveries. This means that the chances of the virus coming into the country through this border is very high.
In a chat with newsmen during the visit, the Abende Community leader says he is aware of this danger posed by the porous border in the community which had given the Cameroonian unhindered access into Nigeria daily fr that axis.
He however noted that he has continued to ensure that his people are enlightened daily on the need to maintain social distancing, regularly wash their hands with soap and water as well as take other precautionary measures to mitigate the effect of covid-19.
At the Ikyogen refugee camp, which hosts Southern Cameroonian refugees, a Cameroonian, Chris Igba who said he had been in Benue for over three years confirmed that more Cameroonians troop in daily into the camp.
Igba appealed to the federal and state governments to stop the continued influx of Cameroonians into the country especially as there have coronavirus positive cases identified in southern Cameroon.
Emmanuel Shagba, a representative of Benue State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) who lamented the manner in which the Cameroonians troop into the state from that border line expressed the hope that NIS would put stricter measures in place to secure the border as well as ensure that the refugees are educated on all the preventive measures against covid-19.
The SEMA Representative explained further that necessary measures are in place to checkmate number of refugees in the camp stressing that the sensitization routine is carried out on a daily basis.