Gov. Dikko Radda of Katsina State has said that his administration is poised to collaborate with the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) to strengthen border security and curtail trans-border crimes in the area.
Radda said this on Tuesday, when he received the Customs Zonal Coordinator in charge of Zone B, Assistant Comptroller-General, Adekunle Oloyede, who paid him a courtesy visit at the Government House, Katsina.
He commended the NCS for embracing technology in tracking activities and movements around border areas in the country.
“For a long time, Nigeria needed to move a little forward because we cannot continue to operate the way it was in the last 40 years to 50 years, when the world has moved to the digital age,” he said.
Radda described the technological approach as a right step in the right direction and at the right time.
According to him, considering the porous nature of Nigerian borders, there was no way to deploy all personnel to monitor borders and control movements.
He argued that the situation contributed largely to escalating insecurity.
He acknowledged that the movement of arms through borders remained one of the challenges faced by the state.
He expressed the confidence that with the use of technology and synergy with the state Ministry of Internal Security and Home Affairs, Katsina Security Watch Corps and other security agencies,” the activities of bandits, who run to escape arrest, would be reduced”.
Earlier, Oloyede said that his visit to Katsina was to condole with the governor over the death of his mother, Hajiya Safara’u Barebari, and inspect Customs formations in the state.
He further said that the Customs authorities had resolved to use technology, instead of brute force to check activities within the borders.
He said that NCS now recognised the need for strengthening security around the country’s borders.
“By employing technology, the Nigeria Customs could be able to manage their officers and know how they behave in the discharge of their duties,” he said.
He prayed that Almighty Allah should forgive the deceased and grant her Al-Jannah Firdausi.