It is now obvious that the operator of Beni Hotel, on Broad Street area of Central Lagos would not be let off the hook so fast, after the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Suleiman Abba, ordered his arrest and thorough investigation.
This even as the Federal Government, through the Ministry of Internal Affairs, has queried the Comptroller General of the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS).
“The point is that, we must find out whether or not those foreigners came into Nigeria legally or not. If no, how did they manage to cross our border posts? If yes, we would like to see all their relevant documents”, a police source told our correspondent.
The source added also that the content of the five-paragraph query was weighty. “It is high time we sat up in this country and began to carry out our responsibilities with absolute patriotism and loyalty. Someone is in charge of our entry and exit points, and we expect that person to do his or her job right.”
Emmanuel Ojukwu, the Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO) in a telephone chat from Abuja said he would not know if the Police boss has ordered investigation into the incident. “But let me say this, we need to know the status of those immigrants. Are they legal immigrants or illegal? We need to also know whether the operator of that hotel has been keeping record of guests.”
IGP Abba did not respond to telephone calls when our Correspondent placed a call to his telephone line. But a source at the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID) confirmed that the Police boss has ordered investigation into the development.
Also, the top Police source said, there could be more than meet the eyes in the entire saga, “therefore the Inspector General of Police (IGP) has given the Lagos State Police Command, the go ahead to arrest and investigate both the proprietor of the Hotel and all the staff members.”
A source said the IGP might be working on suspicion of human trafficking, illicit dealing in hard drugs and sabotage of the Federal Government and states’ effort at containing the dreaded killer virus, Ebola.
“Oga has also requested for the guest log-book of the Hotel beginning from July 1st till date.”
Hotel operators are by law expected to, on weekly basis present to the nearest Police formation to them, a weekly guest log-book. This book contains detailed information of all guests. It would also indicate among others, if the guest was a foreigner or Nigerian, where the guest is coming into the country from and where he/she is departing to. It would also tell the Hotel attendant the method of entry, that is, if by air, water or road.”
Some 36 suspected illegal immigrants were on Saturday, August 30, 2014 arrested in a Lagos Island Hotel; Beni Hotel on Broad Street part of the central Lagos.
It took the joint effort of policemen, Immigration officials, SSS and other relevant security operatives to round-up the suspects said to be mostly from some of the Ebola ravaged West African countries, including Congo Democratic Republic, Liberia, Guinea and Ivory Coast.
The suspects were arrested, following a tip off by a good Nigerian and a resident of the area that a guest who had earlier checked into the hotel had slumped and was developing some primary symptoms of Ebola.
