Nigeria to use bio-metric identification to tackle arms, drugs smuggling: minister

Nigeria would introduce bio-metric identification at border posts to tackle problems of arms and drugs smuggling, Minister of Interior, Abdurrahman Danbazzau said Tuesday.

Danbazzau disclosed this in central north city of Kaduna at a town hall meeting on President Muhammadu Buhari's one year in office.

The minister said the use of the bio-metric identification would check human trafficking and tighten security at the borders.

He told his audience that security agencies were working tirelessly to reduce violent crimes in the country, including kidnapping, vandalism, herdsmen invasion and armed robbery.

According to him, the military had succeeded in winning the war against insurgency in the North-East and is still engaged in mop up operation and humanitarian services.

Danbazzau said the ministry would collaborate with other agencies to rehabilitate and reconstruct areas in the region affected by the insurgency.

On prisons, he said the ministry was faced with the challenge of congestion.

"Our prisons are congested with close to 70,000 prisons inmates and awaiting trials," he added.

The minister said government would explore ways to reduce the huge feeding cost of the inmates, and was considering privatizing the prisons for effective management.

Danbazzau also said that the clash between herdsmen and farmers was a challenge to the government. Endit