COVID-19: Minister urges Nigerians to report illegal entry into the country

The Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, has urged Nigerians to promptly report any perceived illegal entry into the country through the nation’s borders to the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS).

Aregbesola said this while answering questions at the Presidential Taskforce on COVID-19 on Thursday in Abuja.

He said that it was illegal for anybody to import COVID-19 into the country by any means in spite of the huge sacrifices the citizenry made with the stay-at-home order by the Federal Government.

“Nigerians have sacrificed a lot to curtail COVID-19 and we should be alert to any illegal entry, this gain came at high price and it has taken toll on our economy, spiritual and social lives.

“We must support the country to keep our nation secure, our hospitality and sense of compassion which is the hallmark of Nigeria should not be taken for granted,” he said.

Speaking on the released prisoners by the Federal Government, Aregbesola said that 70 Federal offenders were to benefit from the amnesty, while 2,600 were state offenders.

Aregbesola said President Muhammadu Buhari had ordered the Attorney General for the Federation to liase with state to free the 2,600 offenders.

He said that the federal government was committed to decongesting the correctional centres.

The minister commended the endurance and resilience of Nigerians and front line health workers to curtail the spread of COVID-19.

He called on states sharing borders with other countries like Lagos, Sokoto, Cross Rivers and Niger, among others, to ensure that the boarders were closely monitored so as not to allow any aliens into the country at this period.