FG orders closure of land borders, bans movement of goods

The federal government has ordered the complete closure of the Nigerian borders, placing a ban on both legitimate and illegitimate movement of goods in and out of the country. 

Comptroller-General, Nigerian Customs Service, retired Col. Hameed Ali, reportedly disclosed this in Abuja, during a joint press briefing on joint border patrol, codenamed ‘EX-SWIFT RESPONSE’. 

According to him, all import and export of goods from the nation’s land borders are banned until there is an agreement with neighbouring countries on the kind of goods that should enter and exit Nigeria. 

While providing further details, the customs boss stated that all goods must only enter through the legitimate air and sea ports where they can undergo thorough scanning and certified fit for consumption. 

“We hope that by the time we get to the end of this exercise, we would have exactly between us and our neighbours agree on the type of goods that should enter and exit our country. 

“For now, all goods, whether illicit or non-illicit, are banned from going and coming into Nigeria. 

Let me add that for the avoidance of doubt that we included all goods because all goods can equally come through our seaports. 

“For that reason, we have deemed it necessary for now that importers of such goods should go through our controlled borders where we have scanners to verify the kind of goods and how healthy to our people can be conducted,” Ali stated. 

He insisted that despite the rights for movement of persons as stipulated in the enabling ECOWAS protocol, there must be primacy of security over such rights. 

Ali, who was asked whether the federal government has not breached the rights of the citizenry to movement and international trade, said that “when it comes to security, all laws take a back seat. 

“We want our nation; we want to make sure that our people are protected. You must be alive and well for you to begin to ask for your rights. Your rights come when you are well and alive. 

“Go and ask the people in Maiduguri when Boko Haram was harassing their lives; the only question was survival, there is no question of right. 

This time Nigeria must survive first then before we begin to ask for our rights.”