The Federal Government has indicated that recent confiscations by security agents at the country’s land borders showed that Benin Republic and Niger have not addressed issues that led to the border closure.
This was made known by the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, on Monday while leading a delegation to the Seme border.
Mohammed said the huge number of seizures made in the last two weeks was an indication that the two countries are yet to take steps on the cause of the border closure action.
“In the area of security, the ongoing exercise has recorded a number of seizures and arrests that would have had grave security consequences. So far, 296 illegal immigrants have been arrested. Also, some items seized include; 38,743-50kg bags of parboiled foreign rice; 514 vehicles; 1,012 drums filled with PMS; 5,400 jerrycans of vegetable oil; 346 motorcycles; 10, 553 jerrycans of PMS and 136 bags of NPK fertilizer used for making explosives. The estimated value of the apprehended items is about N3.5 billion,”he said.
On the benefits of the closure, the minister said it had curbed smuggling of various food items and other commodities, and by extension, had helped local production.
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“The partial closure has so far curbed the smuggling of foreign rice into the country, in addition to other prohibited items. Our series of interactions and engagements with the Rice Miller Association of Nigeria since the commencement of this exercise, has shown that the border closure has enhanced more production and milling of Nigerian rice.
“Patronage of Nigerian rice has increased and farmers are expanding their farms as well as engaging more hands. Furthermore, the border closure has impacted positively on revenue generation of the Federal Government which in turn will be used to build more infrastructure and develop critical sectors of the nation’s economy.
“As we speak, we have ships loaded with rice waiting to be discharged (in Benin) and the target market is Nigeria (for Christmas). We have MV Africana Jacana with 40,000 metric tons of rice, MV Zilos with 20,000 mts and MV Sam Jarguar with 45,000 MTS and others.
”Local consumption of fuel had dropped by 30 per cent apparently due to the reduction in smuggling of petroleum products to neighbouring countries.
“The border exercise has also curbed diversion of petroleum products from Nigeria to neighbouring countries,” he added.