Why Nigerian Borders Will Remain Closed – Lai Mohammed

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed has revealed that Nigeria’s land borders will remain closed until there is a noticeable improvement in the security of the country.

Alhaji Lai who made this known during a visit to Seme yesterday in the company of Minister of Interior Affairs, Ogbeni   Rauf Aregbesola revealed that the border closure has increased patronage of Nigerian rice and farmers are expanding their farms as well as engaging more hands.

He explained that from the magnitude of seizures made and the number of illegal immigrants apprehended in the last two weeks, it was obvious that “nothing is being done yet by both countries – Benin and Niger – to address the challenges.”

Nigeria had in August closed its land borders, saying smuggling of goods from its neighboring countries was hurting its economy.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, during a meeting of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on the Temporary Partial Closure of Land Borders in Abuja, also said that the only travel document allowed for anybody coming into the country through the land borders is the passport, stressing that the country would not accept any other documents such as the identity card.