Police Deny Shootout With Immigration Over Outpost

The Borno State police command has debunked rumours on social media that its personnel and officials of the Nigeria Immigration Service exchanged fire over control of an outpost at 777 Housing Estate in Maiduguri. 

The police debunked the story in a press statement issued to journalists by its spokesman,  Nahum Daso Kenneth,  yesterday in Maiduguri. 

It was alleged that police and immigration officials engaged in a wild shootout yesterday at a police outpost within the housing estate alongside the Maiduguri-Kano highway which the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has been occupying since 2014, due to a previous abandonment following repeated attacks on security personnel.

But the police statement said; “It is of interest to the general public to note that the police have reclaimed 23 outposts across the nine  police divisions within Maiduguri municipality to bring police closer to the communities and improve police response time.

“The ownership of 777 Housing Estate outpost has not been in dispute as it belongs to the Nigeria Police and marked with Nigeria Police insignia, the police have moved in and mounted  the police flag since the  15th of November and are working amicably with the Nigeria Immigration Service who are occupying a portion within the expanse of the compound. 

“ There was no dispute or exchange of fire as claimed between the police and immigration. The Borno police command calls on the good people of the state to  disregard any unfounded news and go on their lawful businesses.”