FG to arrest Syria-trained B’Haram members at airports

Following the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria’s embrace of Boko Haram, the Federal Government has put security on the alert at the airports and land borders to arrest Boko Haram members who had traveled to Syria and Iraq for training with ISIS.

It was learnt that security agencies know the identities of those who traveled to Syria and Iraq for training with ISIS, but preferred to remain silent so as not to jeopardize their investigation.

A top security officer, who confided in SUNDAY PUNCH, said, “Our investigations are not for public consumption, but you should know that before the President could come out openly to say that Boko Haram fighters are being trained by ISIS, he must have been given some information.

“I can assure you that immediately these people come into the country, they would be picked up.”

Meanwhile, the Federal Government has stopped no fewer than 38,162 foreigners from entering the country for various reasons including security.

This was disclosed by the Public Relations Officer of the Nigeria Immigration Service, Mr. Emeka Obua, in an interview with SUNDAY PUNCH on Friday.

No fewer than 240 Nigerians were also barred from travelling abroad, Obua added.

Obua was responding to a question from one of our correspondents on whether Nigerians would be barred from travelling to Syria and Iraq due to the new alliance between Boko Haram and ISIS.

He was also asked whether Nigerians were being barred Syria where ISIS holds forth.

Obua stated that Nigerians could not be prevented from going to any country, except there was suspicion that such people had dubious reasons.

“We don’t stop Nigerians from going to particular countries unless the individual has no valid documents or genuine reasons for going there. We have general oversight on people traveling out or coming into the country and it is our duty to ensure that their reasons for traveling out would not mar the image of the country,” he said.

Obua explained that many of the people were prevented from traveling out of the country because they did not have valid documents, adding that some were also stopped for not having genuine reasons for going to their intended destinations.

“I don’t want to mention the countries whose citizens we stopped from entering Nigeria so as not to scandalise them or injure their sensibilities because diplomacy is based on reciprocity, but in 2014, 240 Nigerians were refused departure so that they would not tarnish the nation’s image abroad because they had doubtful travel documents and doubtful reasons for leaving the country. Also, 38,162 people were refused admission into Nigeria for various reasons,” he explained.

Another top security source said, “We cannot restrict Nigerians because of religious implications, but suspects are strictly monitored.

“Efforts are being made to ensure immediate fortification of all security apparatus in the country in readiness for any move by the deadly groups to establish a base in the country. That is one of the reasons the military is pressing to flush them out in the first place.

“The Department of State Services is adopting measures to ensure that people who are leaving the country are intensely screened at the exit points such as the airport, the sea ports and the border posts.”

The Director of Defence Information, Maj. Gen Chris Olukolade, said had no comment on the issue.

Efforts to get the comments on the Deputy Director, DSS, Ms Marilyn Ogar, on whether Nigerians would be barred from travelling to the two countries, did not succeed as her mobile phone number did not go through. She had yet to respond to an SMS sent to her as of the time of filing this report.

But when contacted, the Director General of the National Orientation Agency and Coordinator of the National Information Centre on the war against terrorism, Mr. Mike Omeri, said, “The acceptance of Boko Haram by ISIS has no impact on the war against terror. We have already asked Nigerians to be alert. We are not going to put the citizens of any country under watch. What we have rather done is to put our situation under watch.”