The House of Representatives has called on the Inspector General of Police (IGP) and other security agencies to urgently intervene in the crisis in Igbokofi, a border town in Ogun state located between Nigeria and the Republic of Benin.
The House said Nigerians in the community were facing a great ordeal due to the situation.
The House requested the Nigerian Police Force, Nigerian Immigration Service and other sister agencies to immediately restore all armed security personnel in Igbokofi.
It also requested the Inspector General of Police or any other designated Senior Police Officer to visit the community with a view to carrying out an on-the-spot assessment of the security threat to effect necessary changes.
It mandated the committees on Interior and Police Affairs to ensure implementation.
These resolutions followed the adoption of a motion moved by Gboyega Isiaka from Ogun State.
The House noted that Igbokofi is one of the communities in the Yewa North local government area of Ogun state that shares the international border with the Republic of Benin.
Read Also: Reps urge arrest, prosecution of traffic violators in Abuja
It said typical of most border communities in Ogun State, the community faces not only extremely poor infrastructural facilities but great security challenges brought about by encroachment into the Nigerian territory by Beninoire authorities and activities of child traffickers, kidnappers, suspected arms running and other transborder crimes.
The House said these pose great danger to the lives and property of Nigerians living in and around this community.
The House noted that there has been a long-standing border dispute between Nigeria and the Republic of Benin in the Igbokofi community.
“As we speak a Benin Republic Police post located on the Nigerian land is still generating controversy,” the motion read.
“It further read: “The House further notes that since June 2022, the community has been given security protection by the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) of the Nigerian Immigration Service. 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 to sense danger. There are no other security or para-military agents within the vicinity.
“The House is worried however that in July this year, the RRS of Nigerian Immigration Service have also been withdrawn assumedly by the management of NIS. Since then, there has been a greater threat to lives and properties to the residents of Igbokofi and residents believe that arms and child trafficking through the area have evidently increased and there is 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.”