Border closure: Customs boss explains real reasons Buhari took action
- Comptroller-general of Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Hameed Ali, says the federal government's closure of borders is in the interest of the country
- Ali explains that part of the reasons the closure was effected is to protect the country's security and stop the proliferation of weapons
- The customs boss notes that ammunition is imported with which bandits attack Nigerians
Hameed Ali, the comptroller-general of Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), on Thursday, September 26, explained the reasons the government of President Muhammadu Buhari shut down the country's borders.
There had been complaints of hardship by Nigerians as a result of the action, but Ali, a retired Army colonel said the closure was primarily done to strengthen the nation’s security and protect its economic interests.
The customs boss, who spoke with border stakeholders, comprising freight forwarders and security agencies at Seme, Lagos, noted that the closure was not intended to hurt anyone but to protect the nation's interests.
"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.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Ali attended the meeting in the company of Nigeria’s ambassador to Benin Republic, Kayode Oguntuase, the head of immigration, Mohammed Babandede and Brigadier General EA Ndagi, who coordinates the joint border security exercise.
According to Ali, a lot has gone wrong regarding compliance with transit of goods, adding: "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.
"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, Tramadol 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."
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He said the government had discovered where the ammunition comes from.
“The bandits, the armed robbers had no choice, your mother, my children, your sisters might be shot by that weapon,” the customs boss added while calling for support and cooperation of the stakeholders to ensure the nation is protected.
Legit.ng reports that the emir of Kano, Muhammad Sanusi II, had thrown his weight behind the closure of the borders.
Sanusi said he supports the border closure because of the need for rice farmers in the country to be protected.
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Source: Legit.ng
