The House of Representatives has called on the Inspector General of Police 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.
It thus requested the Nigerian Police Force, Nigerian Immigration Service and other sister agencies to immediately restore fully 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 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.
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The House noted that Igbokofi is one of the communities in Yewa North local government area of Ogun State that shares international border with the Republic of Benin.
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 Beninese authorities and activities of child traffickers, kidnappers, suspected arms running and such other trans-border crimes.
The House said these pose great danger to lives and property of Nigerians living in and around this community.
It also noted that there has been a long standing border dispute between Nigeria and the Republic of Benin in Igbokofi community.
“As we speak a Benin Republic Police post located on the Nigerian land is still generating controversy,” the motion read.
It reads further: “The House further notes that since June 2022, the community was being 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 on sensing danger. There are no other security or paramilitary agents within the vicinity.