The National President of Ijaw Peoples Development Initiative, IPDI, Comrade Austin Ozobo has slammed the Nigeria Police over the influx of Almajiris from the Northern to the Southern States.
He said it showed that, “The Police are not doing their jobs. They have disappointed Nigerians.”
Ozobo made the assertion in during an interview with a correspondent in Warri.
Ozobo said, “These so-called Almajiris left the North and they passed through borders in Kaduna to Abuja from Abuja to Lokoja, from Lokoja to Okene, from Okene to Ekpoma, from Ekpoma to Benin and to Warri, and there are police checkpoints all through.
“Are you telling me that the police did not see when these people were passing? I am surprised.
“And the fact is that these people are not even Almajiris. They have an assignment. They are not coming for business interest. If they are coming for business interest, they would not have been coming in that large number.
“At least if they are coming for business interest, they would only load their goods and two or three people will be accompanying the goods.
“But they are now using the pretext of Almajiris to bring in killer herdsmen and Boko Haram to infiltrate the South for their nefarious activities. It is very appalling. And it is dangerous. They are on a mission.”
Ozobo also accused South-South Governors of making matters worse.
According to Ozobo, “They are not helping matters in the sense that they should not only rely on Police for border security. There should be other security networks, either the citizen-watch, vigilantes, or other task forces to check excesses of the Police.
“For now, our borders are not on lockdown as far as I am concerned. It is only a matter of pay and go.”
AFRICA TODAY NEWS, NEW YORK