Buhari’s Bright-Eyed Boys …President Celebrates Police Border Patrol

Matilda Omonaiye/

One of the accomplishments that President Muhammadu Buhari was proud to mention in his democracy day address was the efficiency of police officers spearheading the special operation to keep Nigeria’s borders safe.

“To reduce security challenges through our external borders especially smuggling of oil products out of the country, inflow of small arms and drugs into the country and equally protect our local manufacturers, we introduced operation ‘Ex-Swift Response’ closing our borders from August 20th 2019, and have considerably succeeded in meeting its objectives as well as improving our national revenue,” the President said in his national broadcast on June 12.

The border closure in August 2019 has been one visionary and pro-active move against the spread of the novel coronavirus which the World Health Organization (WHO) first reported on December 31, 2019.

One of the leading lights in the Presidential Task Force for the border patrol set up by the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mohammed Adamu, is the Commanding Officer at the Nigeria-Republic of Benin Border Patrol (Seme), CSP Udu Moses Ogechi.

Ogechi has turned out as a quiet achiever, whose uncompromising nature and meritorious services have not received much media coverage.

Before he was singled out for the task of carrying out the presidential mandate of securing Nigeria’s most strategic land border, Ogechi had served as the Squadron Commander, MOPOL 43, Lion Building; Commander in charge of Diplomatic Missions and the Commander, Lion Building. He performed very well there and he led many successful operations that are commendable.

He had served as Commander, Federal Task Force on Narcotic and Counterfeit Drugs under the late Dr Dora Akunyili, and had contributed largely to the successes recorded in the war against fake drugs. He led the operations.

During his years at NAFDAC, he led the sanitization of Onitsha Head Bridge drug market, where illicit drugs worth billions of naira were confiscated, even arms and ammunition. The operation was a celebrated one, and he became known as an uncompromising officer.

It is not surprising that Ogechi was chosen by IGP Adamu as the right officer to effect the directives of President Buhari on the closure of the Seme Border. The mission has witnessed seizures of contraband goods worth billions of Naira and the seizure of weapons and illicit drugs.

According to the Minister of Information, Alhaji Lai Mohammed and the CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele who visited the Seme Border recently, Ogechi’s activities have earned Nigeria trillions of naira as income. Robbers and gunrunners now see Seme as a no-go area.

Smugglers have also not been having their way due to the effective policing that has led to several arrests and recoveries.

The Presidential acknowledgement of the efforts and commitments of the border patrol team appears as a morale booster for Ogechi and his men who are worthy of such commendations as an exemplary ambassador of Africa’s most populous nation.