FG directs NIS to reopen land borders 12 noon
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The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has been directed by the Federal Government to re-open the land borders by noon on Sunday, Mr David Parradang, the Comptroller-General of Immigration, has said.
Parradang made the disclosure in a telephone interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Sunday.
He said that the directive was given to the service late on Saturday as the country needed to resume activities within and across its land borders which had been closed since Wednesday.
Parradang said although INEC had extended the voting time in some polling centres to Sunday, government gave the directive with the view that voting in those areas would be rounding off or ended by 12 noon.
He said that the opening of the land borders would not in any way affect the voting process, considering that officers of the service were on a 24-hour surveillance of areas within and around the borders.
Mr Abba Moro, the Minister of Interior, also confirmed the directive when he spoke to NAN by telephone.
He said that the directive was given considering the smooth nature in which voting was conducted in most states as well as the effort of INEC to ensure that the process was concluded as soon as possible.
NAN recalls that NIS had, in a statement signed by Mr Chukwuemeka Obua, its spokesman, on Sunday, said the Federal Government had given a directive to open the land borders by 12 noon.
[02:45:32 PM] sheyhe gheshe:
Voting continues at Takum, Ibi LGAs of Taraba on Sunday
Accreditation and elections are underway in Ibi and Takum local government areas of Taraba, where the exercise could not hold as scheduled on Saturday.
The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in the state, Alhaji Ahmed Makama, told newsmen in Jalingo on Sunday that this was due to a mix-up in the distribution of election materials on Saturday.
He, however, assured that all grey areas had been effectively tackled to ensure that residents exercised their franchise.
Similarly, the REC confirmed that the election was postponed in some wards in Ibi Local Government Area where the Chief Whip of the House of Representatives, Mr Ishaka Bawa, hailed from.
He said reports from the area on Sunday showed that the exercise was proceeding without any hitches.
Meanwhile, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Taraba Command, Mr Joseph Kwaji, had confirmed that the Electoral Officer in charge of Ibi Local Government was beaten up by some residents.
The development stemmed from allegations that the officer compromised his office by selling out National Assembly ballot papers to a serving legislator from the area.
He disclosed that it took the intervention of the police to rescue the electoral officer whose name was not disclosed.
Kwaji said that the Command had, however, beefed up security in both Takum and Ibi local government areas to ensure hitch-free polls there.
[02:46:06 PM] sheyhe gheshe: Elections: Police applaud voters’ maturity, peaceful conduct in Sokoto State
The Police Command in Sokoto State has commended voters in the state for their peaceful conduct during Saturday’s Presidential and National Assembly elections.
Alhaji Salisu Fagge, the Commissioner of Police in the state, made the commendation in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Sokoto on Sunday.
Fagge, who described the conduct of the elections in the state as generally peacefully, said reports from the various parts of the state indicated that the voters had demonstrated maturity during the exercise.
He explained that adequate security measures had been put in place to sustain the peaceful nature the state was known for.
The police commissioner solicited for more understanding from the people of the state and urged them to report any suspicious character to security agencies in the state.
