Reported By Mary Udezue | Edited by: Gabriel Osa
In a deadly assault, Boko Haram militants attacked a joint security base near Muna in Borno State, killing an officer of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) and injuring several soldiers attached to the 195 Battalion. The attack occurred around 2:00 a.m. on November 30.
Sources within the immigration community told SaharaReporters that insurgents stormed the "Charly Company" location, opening fire on personnel on duty. Reinforcements arrived shortly after, forcing the attackers to retreat into the bush. The fallen officer was identified as Assistant Immigration Officer IA II Lucky, a member of the NIS Batch 13 contingent deployed under Operation Hadin Kai.
“Immigration officers are not trained for frontline combat,” one source lamented. An officer speaking on condition of anonymity expressed frustration over what they described as “the dangerous and unfair deployment” of immigration personnel to frontline battle positions, highlighting that officers are only given minimal equipment—just two magazines—to defend themselves against terrorists.
“We are given only two magazines to defend ourselves against terrorists. How do they expect us to survive?” the officer questioned.
Another immigration officer revealed that this attack was “one too many,” adding that their unit has lost almost four men in recent operations. “We are overstretched, under-equipped, and exposed,” he said. Several officers are calling on the authorities, particularly the Comptroller General of Immigration, to urgently intervene and ensure the safety of staff deployed in conflict zones.
“The Controller General must come to our aid,” a senior officer urged. “Immigration is not a combat force. We support operations, but we should not be placed directly in harm’s way.”
The sources also accused some senior officials of favoritism in duty roster rotations, claiming certain personnel are shielded from risky deployments while others are left exposed. “The CG should caution his G1 and admin,” one officer remarked. “It looks like they favor some and leave others to face the toughest assignments. We will come back to that issue.”
As of now, the Nigerian Army has not issued an official statement regarding the attack. SaharaReporters’ attempts to reach the spokesperson for the NIS, Akinsola Akinlabi, were unsuccessful, as he neither answered calls nor responded to a text message requesting comments.
Security operations are ongoing in the Muna area, a known hotspot for insurgent activity on the outskirts of Maiduguri, as authorities continue efforts to contain the threat posed by Boko Haram terrorists.
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