From Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja
House of Representatives has charged the Nigerian Police Force, the Nigerian Immigration Service and other relevant security agencies to restore armed security personnel to Igbokofi, a community in Yewa North Local Government of Ogun State, which shares border with the Republic of Benin.
The House also implored the Inspector General of Police( IGP) Kayode Egbetokun, to visit or any other senior police officer to visit Igbokofi for an on the spot assessment of the security threat in the area, so as to effect necessary changes in the security arrangement in the community.
This followed the adoption of a motion by Gboyega Isiaka, calling on security agencies “to intervene in the ordeal of Nigerians living in Igbokofi, a border town between Nigeria and Benin Republic”.
Isiaka, in his motion, informed the House that Igbokofi, apart from contending with poor infrastructure, is confronted by serious security challenges caused by alleged encroachment on Nigerian territory by Republic of Benin, and the activities of kidnappers, child traffickers and other transborder criminals.
According to him, “These poses great danger to lives and property of Nigerians living in and around this community.
Note that there has been a long standing border disputes between Nigeria and Benin Republic in Igbokofi community and as we speak a Benin Republic Police post located on the Nigerian land is still generating controversy.”
The lawmaker explained that that though a Rapid Response Squad (RRS) of the NIS was deployed to the area in June 2022 to provide security for the community, “the few men in the Nigerian Police Post in the community are completely unarmed (even with batons) and have had to run away many times on sensing danger. There are no other security or para military agent within the vicinity.”
Isiaka, who added that in July, this year, the RRS squad was withdrawn, leaving the community bare, noted that “since then, there has been greater threat to live and properties to the residents of Igbokofi and residents believe that arms and child trafficking through the area have evidently increased and there are reliable information that attacks that threaten the international border demarcation even further may be in the offing.
“This undoubtedly has created a lot of tension, anxiety, and fear within and around the community by residents as these can only lead to loss of lives and properties within and around the Igbokofi community. “