Buhari Govt Gives Update On Closure Of Nigerian Borders

President Muhammadu Buhari‘s government through the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), retired Col. Hameed Ali, says the closure of Nigeria’s borders by Federal Government was undertaken to strengthen the nation’s security and protect its economic interests.

Naija News reports that Ali made this known during a meeting with border stakeholders, comprising freight forwarders and security agencies on Thursday at Seme.

The Customs Comptroller-General said that the closure was not intended to hurt anyone but to protect the nation’s interests.

His words: “Our interest is to make sure that our country is secure, the well-being of our people is ensured and our economy is secure.

“The step we have taken is in the interest of Nigeria, the step is not to hurt anybody but to protect our own interests as a nation,” he said.

A report monitored on the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) by Naija says that the NCS boss was accompanied at the meeting by Nigeria’s Ambassador to the Benin Republic, Kayode Oguntuase, Comptroller General Immigration, Mohammed Babandede, and Brig. Gen. E.A Ndagi, Coordinator of Joint Border Security Exercise, among others.

Speaking further on the closure on the border, Ali said that lots of things had gone wrong regarding compliance with the transit of goods, adding that the border closure was to ensure that things were streamlined so that all stakeholders could be back to doing the right things.

“The idea is to ensure that the protocol that is involved in transit of goods and trade facilitation is adhered to so that we will all live and complement each other.

“The operation is undertaken to ensure that we get things back in perspective; we know the right thing, it is well written, we are all aware of it, we used to practise it, so we must go back to that”, he noted.

The Customs Comptroller-General noted that the freight forwarders were critical stakeholders at the borders and urged them to ensure compliance with the rules regarding transit of goods.

“We cannot do business without you but compliance is lacking between you and our officers. Most of the things we do, we don’t comply with rules and that’s why we end up with weapons, that killed our children.

“We end up with ammunition that bandits use to kill our people; we don’t manufacture ammunition in this country if we do it is only from one source and that source is well protected and documented.

“But today, we have seen many of this ammunition in Nigeria, where are they coming from.

“They have compromised with some of us and some of you and I say to our officers; that weapons, that bullets you facilitate in transiting into Nigeria, you don’t know who will take it.

“The bandits, the armed robbers had no choice, your mother, my children, your sisters might be shot by that weapon,” the Customs Comptroller-General warned.