THE Federal Government has ordered a stop to any attempt by states to deport, register and provide identity cards to non-indigenes resident in the states, as a way to check the influx of suspected Boko Haram members.The decision was reached during a meeting of the national security council, presided over by President Goodluck Jonathan, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Monday.
The meeting was attended by all service chiefs, the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mohammed Abubakar; Ministers of Police Affairs and his Interior counterpart, Abdul Jelil Adesiyan and Abba Moro respectively; Director-General, Department of State Security (DSS), Ita Ekpenyong and the National Security Adviser (NSA), Colonel Sambo Dasuki (retd).
According to the IGP, who briefed State House correspondents, alongside the Director-General of DSS, the meeting was summoned to discuss the ongoing insurgency in the country, the efforts to rescue abducted Chibok girls and the discrimination of some Nigerians in parts of the country.
“Primarily, the council discussed very important issues – terrorism in Nigeria (the Boko Haram), the Chibok girls and lastly, the issue of Nigerians being discriminated against in other parts of the country,” Abubakar said.
Giving details of the outcome of the meeting, Ekpenyong said the council viewed the deportation of Nigerians from some states as more dangerous than the Boko Haram menace, in terms of its capacity to dismember the country and, therefore, directed that the exercise must stop immediately.
He revealed that the council also discussed the ultimatum issued by a group in Kano to non-indigenes to leave the state and warned the group and similar ones in the country to desist from such.
Ekpenyong reiterated that security agencies were aware of the location of the 219 Chibok girls being held by the Boko Haram, but were refraining from endangering their lives, as he noted that the girls would be freed at the appropriate time.
“The IGP has told you what was discussed at the meeting – fight against the Boko Haram, efforts made by government to rescue the Chibok girls and the issue of deportation, registration of Nigerians in states of the federation.
“The council resolved that the issue of registration of Nigerians anywhere in the country and deportation should stop forthwith.
“Government is doing everything possible to stem this from getting out of control. As a matter of fact to show the urgency, the Council of State meeting will be held anytime next week to discuss these issues,” he said.
On terrorism, the SSS boss stressed that the efforts of government at tackling the menace were yielding results.
According to him, “the fight against Boko Haram is ongoing, as there are many things government is doing. There are several attacks government had stopped, but nobody will remember those ones.
“On the issue of Chibok girls, government is making efforts. We know where they are, but we don’t want to endanger their lives. That is the truth.
“We want to take it gradually and release them at the appropriate time. We know where they are and you can go to bed with that.”
It will be recalled that Lagos State government recently came under criticism for deportation of some non-indigenes, while Imo State government was also accused of registering northerners living in the state.
The decision to register northerners in Imo State sparked widespread condemnation in the country, with the move being interpreted in some quarters as ethnic and religious.
The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), it is also recalled, had cautioned the Igbo in the South East against maltreating northerners, warning that such could endanger the multi-billion Naira investment of the Igbo in the North.
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