Nigeria’s land, sea borders closed

President Goodluck Jonathan has approved the closure of all land and sea borders of the country, ahead Saturday’s presidential election.
According to a statement signed by Abubakar G. Magaji, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Interior, the closure would be from 12.00 midnight of Wednesday, March 25, till 12.00 midnight of Saturday, March 28, to allow for peaceful conduct of the poll.
Magaji said the Nigerian Immigration Service had also been directed to ensure that non-Nigerians did not participate in any part of the election process.
Meanwhile, the Comptroller General of Immigration Service, David Shikfu Parradang, on Wednesday, convened a meeting with some embassy officials and leaders of ECOWAS communities resident in Nigeria, particularly neighboring countries like Republics of Cameroun and Chad, at the Service Headquarters Abuja, on the forthcoming elections.
The Comptroller General told the officials and community leaders to advise their nationals to steer clear from the forthcoming elections, warning that any non-Nigerian caught interfering in the electoral process would be made to face the law.
He stated that the warning had become necessary to ensure that the existing robust relationship among member states in the sub-region was not undermined by unnecessary meddlesomeness in the internal electoral affairs of member states.
The Comptroller General also announced the closure of borders, adding that effective midnight of Wednesday, till midnight of Saturday, March 28, all land and sea borders across the country would be closed to allow for a hitch-free election.
He also enjoined the community leaders to advise any of their nationals in possession of Nigeria’s permanent voter cards, national identity card or passport to surrender same immediately, as anyone caught with any of them shall be brought before the law.
He further revealed that shortly, the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) would embark on biometric registration of all ECOWAS and other African citizens resident in the country.