ABUJA- The Presidency has highlighted the impressive strides of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration in checkmating security issues between 2015 and 2023.
The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Adesina, in a 90-page document released on Sunday in Abuja, said the remarkable interventions had impacted positively on the changes in the paramilitary.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that President Buhari was elected into office on the platform of All Progressives Congress (APC) after defeating then incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
NAN reports that he was sworn into office on May 29, 2015. In his inaugural speech, the president stated that his administration would focus on the economy, fight corruption, and provide security.
These three big, bold ideas warranted the CHANGE in 2015 and the President never lost sight of them.
Adeshina said that the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) built and completed, since 2016, 17 Command Office Complexes across Nigeria, with another 4 ongoing (Rivers, Kogi, Bauchi and Ondo).
He said that the NIS launched 16 new Forward Operation Bases (FOBs) across Nigeria and launched, on Jan. 15, 2019, an enhanced e-Passport, and a Booklet with 10-year validity.
He also said that NIS deployed enhanced e-Passport Production Centres in Nigeria, and in London, Washington DC, among others.
According to him, some of these achievements are the NIS National Border Management Strategy 2019-2023
“Also, NIS deployed, with the support of the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), the global Migration Information and Data Analysis System (MIDAS) at five International Airports and 17 Border Crossing Points.
“MIDAS is a global real-time border management system developed by International Organization for Migration (IOM) and is linked to INTERPOL & other watchlists.
‘The implementation of MIDAS at the International Airport in Abuja was described by the IOM as “the largest deployment of MIDAS at any airport globally, to date, ” he said.
The Presidency said that NIS had also built and inaugurated, in 2021, a Technology Complex at the NIS HQ, housing a Command-and-Control Centre.
This, he said was able to carry out online real-time monitoring of movements in and out of Nigeria at all ports of entry and exit.
This, he also said was also connected to and sharing information with relevant agencies and Nigerian Missions abroad.
“Nigeria in September 2020 successfully completed the upload of more than 150,000 stolen and lost travel documents to the Interpol Database, ” he said.
Meanwhile, in 2021 and 2022, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) arrested about 24,000 drug traffickers, including 29 barons.
The Presidency added that the agency ensured the conviction of more than 3,400 offenders.
Adeshina said that NDLEA also seized more than 5,500 tons (5.5 million kilogrammes) of assorted illicit drugs.
“The value of drugs and cash seized came to more than N450 billion, while 772. 5 hectares of cannabis farms were destroyed.
“In 2021, the NDLEA launched Nigeria’s new National Drug Control Master Plan (NDCMP) 2021-2025, ” he said.
Also, Adeshina said that President Buhari in 2020 granted amnesty to 2,600 prisoners nationwide as part of Criminal Justice Reforms.
This, he said represented about 3.5 per cent of all inmates and was in a bid to decongest Nigeria’s prison population.
The Presidency stated that beneficiaries were those 60 years and above and those suffering from ill-health that might likely lead to death.
“Also included were convicts serving three years and above and have less than six months to serve.
“Inmates with mental health defect and inmates with a pending fine not exceeding N50,000 and with no pending cases were part of those granted amnesty, “he said. (NAN)
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