President Muhammadu Buhari has explained that he ordered the closure of the Nigeria’s borders against her West African neighbours so as to check the spate of the smuggling of rice, arms and cheap hard drugs into the country.
Buhari said this while responding to a plea on lifting the border closure from his Ghanaian counterpart, Nana Akufo-Addo, at the UK-Africa Investment Summit 2020 held in London, United Kingdom, on Monday.
He said, “When most of the vehicles carrying rice and other food products through our land borders are intercepted, you find cheap hard drugs, and small arms under the food products. This has terrible consequences for any country.”
Buhari further noted that he could not keep his eyes open and watch youths being destroyed through cheap hard drugs, adding that the compromised security has caused the violent invasion of small arms.
The president also pointed out that the Sahel region is awash with small arms contributing significantly to the security challenges in Mali, Chad, Burkina Faso, Niger and Nigeria.
On reopening the borders, the President said that it will not happen till the final report of a committee set up on the matter was submitted and considered.
“We will get things sorted out. Our farmers, especially those who grow rice, now have a market, and are happy, and we are also concerned about hard drugs and weapons.
“Once the committee comes up with its recommendations, we will sit and consider them,” Buhari responded.
SOURCE: AGRONIGERIA
