The Senior Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, has warned that four of Nigeria’s land borders which were reopened last week could be closed again if there is any “trouble”.
Shehu stated this on Tuesday while speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme.
The Federal Government 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 from December 16.
They were all closed in August 2019, as Nigeria sought to curtail illegal importation of drugs, small arms and agricultural products from neighbouring West African nations.
A presidential committee which was set up on the matter completed its job and recommended the reopening of the borders.
But Shehu has now lamented that Nigeria’s neighbours have not cooperated with the country to curtail the influx of bandits and small weapons.
“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 said
