FG Seized 1,957 Vehicles, 895 Motorcycles, 157,511 Bags Of Rice, During 16-months Border Closure

Other items seized by the FG during border closure includes 18,630 jerrycans of vegetable oil; 74,307 jerrycans of petrol; and 5,653 drums of petrol.

The total monetary value of all the items seized during 16-months border closure, as of December 17, 2020, was N12.36bn.

President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday, December 16, 2020, approved the immediate reopening of four land border at Seme, Illela, Maigatari, and Mfun.

The four land borders were closed to goods on August 16, 2019. The reopening comes 16-months after Nigeria closed its borders to warn neighboring countries to stop taking Nigeria for a smuggling destination.

FG seized 157,511 bags of rice during 16-months border closure

To deter smugglers from bringing goods into the country, the FG established different patrol teams in the republics of Benin and Niger.

The teams were created after a tripartite agreement was reached among the governments of Nigeria and the republics of Benin and Niger.

During the border closure, several items, including vehicles, motorcycles and bags of rice, were reportedly seized by the joint border patrol team of the Nigerian government.

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According to data on seizures made available by the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS), 157,511 bags of rice and 10,447 bags of fertilisers were seized during the period.

Other items seized includes 1,957 vehicles; 895 motorcycles; 18,630 jerrycans of vegetable oil; 74,307 jerrycans of PMS (petrol); and 5,653 drums of PMS (petrol).

The team also seized 90 pump-action guns and 5,676 cartridges/ammunition during 16-months border closure. According to reports, the total monetary value of all the seized items as of December 17, 2020 was N12.36bn.

Reacting to the development, the NCS spokesperson, Joseph Attah, said the adherence to rules by the neighbors paid off during the period of the closure.

He said :

“I want you to know that since the border closure, there have been diplomatic engagements. We’ve had meetings in Burkina Faso sometime in the past. There have been commitments to adhere to the rules as against before.

“And more importantly, the tripartite meeting among the Customs administrations of Nigeria, Niger and Benin republics led to the establishment of the joint border patrol on both sides of the border.”

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