Two Nigerians jump barbed fence at Attari border, held

Amid a high alert along the India-Pakistan border following the Dinanagar terror attack, two Nigerian youths were arrested on Friday when they jumped across a barbed wire fence near the international border here.

Alert Border Security Force (BSF) troopers apprehended the duo - identified as Imran Kabeer and Sani Jamiliu - and later handed them over to Punjab Police.

The two youths, aged around 24-25 and hailing from Kanu town in Nigeria, told BSF officials they wanted to go to Pakistan and later to Iraq. The youths did not possess valid travel documents to enter Pakistan.

Both youths arrived in the Sikh holy city of Amritsar, 30 km from here, on Thursday from Delhi in a hired taxi. They argued with the taxi driver on Thursday night, hoodwinked him and drove away his Swift Dzire car. They arrived at the integrated check point at Attari on Friday morning.

"On finding the border gates closed, the youths moved towards a barbed wire fence along the Attari-Wagah rail track (on which the Samjhauta Express peace train between both countries plies) and jumped over the high barbed wire fence, thinking they had entered Pakistan. BSF personnel immediately nabbed them," a BSF official told IANS.

BSF Amritsar sector deputy inspector general M.F. Farooqui confirmed the arrest of both Nigerians.

The entire 553-km international border between India and Pakistan in Punjab is on high alert following the July 27 terror attack on Dinanagar town in Punjab's Gurdaspur district by Pakistani terrorists. Security is also tight in view of the coming Independence Day on August 15.

Since the youths claimed their final destination was Iraq, security officials here said they could be headed to join the Islamic State terror outfit.

Both youths came to India on student visas about a year ago. While Imran is doing BBA from the Mysuru-based Karnataka State Open University, Sani is a BSc third semester student of the Kerala-based Mahatama Gandhi University. Both were residing in Delhi.