Tight security at Nigeria’s borders

This may not be unconnected with fear of smuggling of firearms and other dangerous weapons into the country from the neighbouring countries, including Chad, Niger Republic and Cameroon. Sunday Trust, visited some border stations in Katsina state recently. Some of the border posts visited by this reporter include Jibia-Magama, Kongwalam and Babban-Mutum in Jibiya, Mai’Adua […]

This may not be unconnected with fear of smuggling of firearms and other dangerous weapons into the country from the neighbouring countries, including Chad, Niger Republic and Cameroon. Sunday Trust, visited some border stations in Katsina state recently.

Some of the border posts visited by this reporter include Jibia-Magama, Kongwalam and Babban-Mutum in Jibiya, Mai’Adua and Baure Local Government Areas.

Although movement of people at the borders were virtually nil, Sunday Trust observed that, security personnel were vigilant due to the state of the nation in recent times. Very few people could be seen coming or going out from Nigeria since the beginning of the anti-fuel subsidy protest a week ago.

An immigration officer, who pleaded anonymity, told Sunday Trust at Jibiya-Magama border post that, “people are no longer coming in or going out of Nigeria like they did before the beginning of the uproar over the removal of oil subsidy”.

He explained that the only few people that were still crossing our borders from Niger Republic or going out from Nigeria were residents of some border towns like Dan-Isa in Niger Republic and or Magama in Nigeria.

At Mai’Adua border station, Sunday Trust was told by a customs officer, that the movement of people had drastically reduced in recent time. He explained that “the information we have been receiving is that our brothers from Niger are afraid of coming into Nigeria because of the recent protest in the nation over oil subsidy removal”.

However, the officers and men of the Nigeria Customs Service have adopted new measures of combating crimes at our borders following the development. Although it is the routine duty of the NCS even before the fuel subsidy uprising, inspection of both goods and vehicles has been intensified just to ensure that, no firearms and other weapons are smuggled into the country.

All vehicles, including trucks and passenger cars must undergo rigorous inspection by the NCS men before they could be allowed to cross our borders. All trucks, Sunday Trust observed had to go through the modern scanning bay at Jibiya-Magama border before coming into Nigeria from Niger Republic.

The purpose of the scanning, according a customs officer, is to ascertain whether the vehicle is carrying any illegal item, especially firearms. He said the scanner exposes anything that is contained in the vehicles and the customs experts are examining the vehicle through screens and whenever they detect such items they will impound the vehicle and investigate both the driver and the owner of the consignment.

At Kongwalam border station, Sunday Trust observed that even goods on the camel backs and sacks of grains that are coming into the country were not spared from the inspection by the officers and men of the NCS and other security agents on ground.

When contacted for comments on the activities of customs at the borders, the Area Controller of the Nigeria Customs Service in-charge of Katsina/Kaduna command, Alhaji Yusuf Umar said generally the NSC has improved security at both border stations and other duty posts within its jurisdiction.

Umar said “although we are in the beginning of 2012, from all indications we have started with success. So far we have not made any arrests of smugglers or uncovered weapons at our borders since the beginning of 2012”.

The area controller, however, said even the year 2011 was not too bad for the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) Katsina/Kaduna states command.

The command had made 88 seizures in 2011. The seized goods included vehicles, textile materials, vegetable oil, confectionery, juices, drugs and second-hand clothing with duty paid value of over N120 million.

In the area of revenue generation, he added, the command had generated over N4 billion in 2011. He said when compared to 2010 revenue collection that stood at N2.8 billion, the command has improved its revenue generation with about N1.3 billion in 2011.

He pointed out that, the Command has tried its best especially in combating crimes in the two states during the year under review, saying anti-smuggling activities have drastically reduced in the area. He said so far NSC has not made any arrests of smugglers in Katsina.

Abubakar Haruna, a Niger national, who was met at Jibiya-Magama border station while crossing into Niger Republic, told Sunday Trust that, “I was from Benin and I am going back to Niger because of the recent uproar in Nigeria”.

Haruna explained that, “I was a butcher conducting my business in Benin before the recent uprising and since its commencement things have changed and I therefore decided to come back to my country. I will never go back to Benin even when the strike is over”.

“We were seven in number travelling to Niger republic from Nigeria. We were all coming back from Benin. Our brothers were also planning of coming back soon. We are not comfortable staying there,” he said.

Abdulhamid Ibrahim is a businessman and an indigene of Baure local Government area of Katsina state. He told Sunday Trust that, he was a constant visitor to Niger republic, but he had suspended his visit to Niger recently due to incessant security checks at Kongwalam border by the men of Nigeria Customs and other security agents.

“When ever, you bring some goods into Nigeria from Niger republic NCS’s men must conduct thorough checks on your goods at the border before allowing you to come in. Although there are other security men on ground, the customs officials were stricter on thorough inspection of our goods”.