Mrs Rose Uzoma, Comptroller General, Nigeria Immigration Service
DAILY TRUST
Thursday, 09 February 2012
No Chadian was arrested over the deadly attacks in Kano claimed by Boko Haram, according to a report of the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) seen by Daily Trust yesterday. There were reports in the media shortly after the attacks quoting unnamed police officials as saying that 160 people from neighboring Chad were held on suspicion of involvement in the attacks.
The Immigration said the only two foreigners in police custody were arrested in connection to armed robbery. The Kano State Comptroller of Immigration Service E.B.U. Ifeadi in an eight paragraph report addressed to the Comptroller General of the Service dated Jan 27, with reference number reference number NIS/ZB/KN/INV/INT/012/vol.1/48, said:
“The Comptroller General of Immigration Service may recall that following the deadly insurgency by members of the dreaded Islamic Sect, Boko Haram on Kano, on Friday 20th January, 2012 the police authorities in Kano in the news media claimed it arrested an unimaginable number of Chadians (160) in connection with this carnage.
“Consequently, I moved in very fast to ascertain the authenticity and verify or otherwise of their claim. In doing this, I dispatched yesterday 27th January, 2012 a team comprising three senior officials headed by Deputy Comptroller of Immigration Service with a letter to the commissioner of Police, to interrogate the 160 suspects.
“This request was granted and our findings revealed that the Police had only two persons among others in their custody who they suspected were foreign nationals. These include Messrs: Sclassies O’ Haillei – Malian; and Zakaaiya’u Umar – Nigerien. The third person they suspected was a foreigner was later identified to be a Nigerian from Kano State.
“It is extremely important to note that the Police authorities confirmed to this team that they do not have in their detention 160 Chadians as orchestrated in the said publication(s). The team noted that the Commissioner of Police specifically said that he was surprised that we were reacted so quickly to a mere publication that had no basis.
“The Comptroller General of Immigration Serviceis also invited to note that the Police authorities confirmed to this team that the investigation of the two persons stated above as suspects, did not link them with the Boko Haram saga, rather they were merely arrested along with others by the State Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) and brought to the Police Headquarters as suspects.
“The foregoing bizarre revelations therefore refutes in all entirely the claim of the Police authorities in Kano State, that over 160 Chadians were arrested in connection with the Boko Haram carnage of 20th January 2012.”
On January 30, the NIS forwarded its report to the National Security Adviser in a letter with reference number NIS/HQ/ADM/731/T.
In the letter, the NIS wrote the NSA that the report carried by most Nigerian dailies “had put Chad Republic in bad light. It is feared that if and when they discover as we did that none of their nationals was arrested for involvement in Boko Haram insurgency in Kano, it may weaken their resolve to collaborate with Nigeria in the fight against this menace. Such unwarranted attacks on the corporate image of our regional neighbours may need to be discouraged in our overall national interest.”
It also said that the report “may inadvertently promote xenophobic disposition and attacks on Chadian nationals as well as other ECOWAS countries whose nationals have been variously falsely accused of being main players in the Boko Haram terrorist assaults. There is the need therefore in NIS view of an urgent need to the Nigeria press to be sensitized on the need to be more responsible, investigative and circumspect in reporting…”
