Kwara Seeks Deployment of Immigration Officers to Border Communities

The Chairman of Technical Committee on COVID-19 in Kwara State, who is also the state Deputy Governor, Kayode Alabi, has hinted that the state government has sought the deployment of officers of the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) to all irregular routes in the border communities of the state in order to curb invasion of immigrants into the state.

The development, according to THISDAY checks, might not be unconnected with the dangers posed by over 100 irregular routes in border communities of Baruten, Patigi, Edu Local Government Areas of the state.

Alabi, who spoke with journalists in Ilorin yesterday against the backdrop of the discovery of COVID-19 in the neighbouring states of Kogi, Niger, Osun, Ekiti and Oyo, emphasised that “Kwara State has no confirmed case of the pandemic in the state.

“The deployment of men of the NIS became imperative so as to curb any possible invasion of other people who may want to escape through illegal routes into the state after the closure of land borders by the federal government.”

The deputy governor, who was flanked by the Secretary of the committee and Special Adviser on Health Matters to the state Governor, Abdulrahman Abdulrasaq, Professor Wale Sulaiman, among others said: “The immigration service officials are also at alert at the Ilorin International Airport, where they monitor any expatriates who may want to sneak into Ilorin through the airport, and take their documentations.”

He also said: “The government is also contemplating closing down motor parks and garages in the state for the mean time to curtail influx of people from neighbouring states into the state.”

Alabi added that the state government has set up various preventive and safety mechanisms, including establishing and equipping isolation centre, to tackle the virus potentially.

He noted further that the committee has embarked on aggressive media campaigns to the people of rural communities in the state on the need prevent the spread of COVID-19 as well as to stay at home during this trying period of the pandemic.

Collaborating the chairman’s comment, the Secretary of the committee, Professor Sulaiman, said there was no cause for alarm in the state because they are fully prepared to curb any potential spread of COVID-19 in the state.

He added that the state government has set up a well-equipped isolation centre at Sobi Specialist Hospital in Ilorin that would take care in case of any discovery of the disease in the state.