The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Department of Security Service (DSS) and Nigerian Army have been put on the red alert as the deadline for the restoration of democratic rule in Niger Republic ended on Sunday.
Checks by Politics Nigeria revealled that the security on the Nigerian borders with Niger Republic has been intensified.
Immigration officials, DSS personnel and Nigerian Customs Service have been mandated to stop Nigerien citizens from crossing over to Nigeria through official or unofficial borders.
On the other hand, Nigerians were not allowed to cross over into Niger Republic through the Kamba border in Kebbi state, llela border in Sokoto, Jibiya, Maradi, Zango, Mai’Adua as well as Kaita borders in Katsina.
Other borders affected included Gurbin Bore, in Zamfara and Babura, Maigari in Jigawa State.
Speaking on the development, the Immigration Controller in charge of Special Border Command, Mustapha Sani, in an interview, stated: “Nigerians should stay at home and not attempt to go to the Niger Republic until the embargo is lifted.
“We are determined to return any Nigerian citizen planning to come back to his country.
We have already put our officers on alert and we have already deployed some to man the orthodox routes through which some of the foreigners use to enter into Nigeria and from what we have on the ground, we know it will be impossible for them to enter into Nigeria.
We have also already stationed our officers at strategic places for stop and search as usual.”
Sani explained that since the special border command received a signal that all borders with the Niger Republic should remain closed, officers of the command have been active in enforcing the sanction.
In Zamfara state, tight security had been mounted in Gurbin Bore village in Zurmi Local Government Area of the state to check illegal migrants from Niger Republic into the country.