Minister challenges Atiku, says Nigeria’s land borders not closed

Minister of Interior Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo has dismissed former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s proposal to reopen Nigeria’s land borders if elected president in 2027, saying the country’s borders are currently open.

Mr Tunji-Ojo, in a Facebook post on Saturday, said it was inaccurate to describe Nigeria’s land borders as closed, as several major crossings had been reopened under both previous and current administrations.

PREMIUM TIMES earlier reported that Atiku, the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), proposed reopening Nigeria’s land borders, which are still shut, and introducing policies to ease the importation and movement of goods if elected president in 2027.

Atiku, who has sought to become Nigeria’s president in six election cycles since 1993, said the closure of the land borders had forced many businesses to shut down and contributed to the worsening insecurity in the country.

The presidential candidate said transborder trade is a legitimate business and questioned the government’s decision to shut the country’s borders.

Atiku listed Cameroon, Chad, Niger and the Benin Republic among countries whose land borders with Nigeria had been affected by prolonged closures, and promised to reopen them if elected.

Opened borders

Responding to the proposal made by the former vice president, the minister noted that Nigerian borders are not closed and cannot be reopened.

“As the Minister of Interior who supervises the Nigeria Immigration Service, being an agency of government in charge of border and migration management, it is expedient to state that Nigerian borders are not closed and so cannot be reopened,” he stated.

Mr Tunji-Ojo said the Nigerian government reopened Seme, Illela, Maigatari and Mfum on 16 December 2020, with other crossings subsequently…