The Comptroller-General, Nigeria Customs Service, Col Hameed Ali (retd), has reiterated that the Federal Government closed Nigeria’s borders in order to improve the nation’s security and safeguard its economic interest.
He said this on Thursday at the Seme border during a meeting with border stakeholders including freight forwarders and security agencies.
Ali was quoted as saying that the closure was not intended to hurt anyone but to protect the nation’s interests.
He was also said to have visited Idiroko border, where he charged officers and men to be patriotic and exhibit utmost professionalism throughout the security exercise.
He said, “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.”
READ ALSO: Ex-CBN Official Warns Against Closure Of Nigeria’s Borders, States Consequences
Ali said that a lot had gone wrong regarding compliance with the transit of goods, adding that the border closure was to ensure that things were streamlined so that all stakeholders could be back to doing the right things.
He added, “The idea is to ensure that the protocol that is involved in the transit of goods and trade facilitation are adhered to so that we will all live and complement each other.”
He acknowledged that the freight forwarders were critical stakeholders at the borders and urged them to ensure compliance with the rules regarding the transit of goods.
He said, “We cannot do business without you but compliance is lacking between you and our officers. Most of the things we do 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. But today, we have seen a lot of the ammunition in Nigeria. Where are they coming from?”
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