The Presidency, on Tuesday, says the Federal Government is
studying activities at four of the nation’s land borders which were reopened
last week, adding that the government may close the borders again if there is
any “trouble”.
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and
Publicity, Garba Shehu, made this known on Tuesday while speaking on Channels
Television’s Politics Today programme.
The Federal Government had on December 16 ordered the
immediate reopening of the Seme Border in Lagos State, Illela Border in Sokoto
State, Maigatari Border in Jigawa State, and Mfun Border in Cross River State.
Nigeria had in August 2019 closed its land borders to
curtail illegal importation of drugs, small arms and agricultural products into
the country from neighbouring West African nations.
But the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning,
Zainab Ahmed, announced last Wednesday after a Federal Executive Council
meeting that the presidential committee set up on the matter had completed its
job and had recommended the reopening of the borders.
The minister also said the President approved the immediate
reopening of the four borders while other borders would be reopened hopefully
before December 31, 2020.
But speaking on Tuesday, Shehu lamented that Nigeria’s neighbours had not cooperated with the country to curtail the influx of bandits and small weapons which he claimed are fueling the insecurity in Nigeria.
He said, “This is why the president considered the closure
of the land borders for much of this time until they were reopened a week or so
ago.
“This country has been talking to our neighbours, asking
them that they cooperate with us in order to stop this influx of bandits,
weapons, drugs and trafficking of Nigerian women but the cooperation has not
measured up to the expectation of the president.
“This is why he was forced by the necessity of the situation
to shut down the borders.
“Now, we are reopening in the hope that the agreement we
struck with them, that they will work hand in hand with our own security
agencies, with our own customs, on a trial basis, because not all entry points
have been reopened. It will be tried, if it works well, then others will be
reopened. If there is trouble, then the government may have a rethink.”
“It is the technical committee that will advise the
government on how well things are working now that we have reopened four points
out of the numerous that we have,” Shehu added.
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