Malik Yahya/
The Federal Government has again justified its decision to effect a partial closure of all land borders across the country, saying that it has yielded a lot of benefits to the country’s economy.
The government said the exercise, codenamed, ‘Exercise Swift Response’, has resulted in the seizure of smuggled goods worth over N1.4 billion.
The Comptroller General of Nigerian Customs Service, Col. Hamid Alli (rtd), made these known while addressing a press conference to give updates on the exercise in Abuja today.
Hamid said the exercise had also stemmed the flow of illicit drugs and weapons into the country, and also boosted patronage of locally manufactured rice and other food items.
Read his full address below:
STATEMENT FROM JOINT PRESS BRIEFING ON EXERCISE SWIFT RESPONSE [The joint border security exercise along Nigeria’s borders] 14 October 2019.
Some of you will recall that as part of measures to secure Nigeria’s land and maritime borders, the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) and Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), in collaboration with the Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN) as well as the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) and other security and intelligence agencies commenced a joint border security exercise, codenamed ‘EX-SWIFT RESPONSE’ in 4 geopolitical zones of the country, namely; South South, South West, North Central and North West on the 20th August 2019.
The exercise is being coordinated by the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) and is aimed at better securing our borders in order to strengthen our economy and address other trans-border security concerns.
Over time, Nigeria has been confronted with numerous trans-border economic and security challenges. These challenges range from banditry, kidnapping, smuggling, illegal migrants and proliferation of light weapons amongst others.
Meanwhile, the preference for foreign goods, especially food items like rice has continuously impoverished our farmers and adversely affected domestic government policies supporting the agricultural sector to enhance food security.
It is however disturbing that some neighbouring countries circumvent the ECOWAS protocol on transit. For clarity, the ECOWAS protocol on transit demands that when a transit container berths at a seaport, the receiving country is mandated to escort same without tampering with the seal to the border of the destination country.
Unfortunately, experience has shown that our neighbours do not comply with this protocol. Rather, they break the seals of containers at their ports and trans-load goods destined for Nigeria.
The partial border 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 Rice Millers 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 infrastructures and develop critical sectors of the nation’s economy. The border exercise has also curbed diversion of petroleum products from Nigeria to neighbouring countries.
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, 317 suspected smugglers and 146 illegal migrants have been arrested.
Also, items seized include; 21,071-50kg bags of parboiled foreign rice; 190 vehicles; 891 drums filled with PMS; 2665 Jerri cans of vegetable oil; 66,000 litre tanker of vegetable oil; 133 motorcycles; 70 Jerri cans of PMS and 131 bags of NPK fertilizer used for making explosives. The estimated monetary value of the apprehended items is about N1,429,562,315.00.
It is important to note that 95 percent of illicit drugs and weapons that are being used for acts of terrorism and kidnapping in Nigeria today come in through our porous borders. However, since this partial closure, the acts have been drastically reduced. Our conclusion is that, the arms and ammunition these terrorists and criminal elements were using are no longer gaining access into the country. In addition, the illicit drugs which affect the health and the wellbeing of Nigerians have equally been reduced.
The Government of Nigeria, through diplomatic channels, will continue to engage our neighbours to agree to comply with the ECOWAS Protocol on Transit. Goods that are on the prohibition list to Nigeria, such as rice, used clothing, poultry products and vegetable oil should not be exported to the country. As a result of this closure, Niger Republic has already circulated an order banning exportation of rice in any form to Nigeria.
In addition, the National Assembly has supported the executive directive on the border closure and the efforts of security agencies in executing the task. Exercise Swift Response has provided a unique platform for the various participating agencies to jointly operate together thereby strengthening inter-agency collaboration and reducing animosity.
It is also necessary to place on record that this is the first exercise in recent times, that military, paramilitary as well as intelligence and security agencies have come together to conduct such an exercise which is akin to a National Security exercise. We will continue to seek the support of all and sundry including the media to ensure that the desired objectives of this exercise; to promote a secured, peaceful and prosperous Nigeria, are fully achieved.
While we call on Nigerian local rice consumers to be patriotic by patronizing Nigerian rice, as this will further help the country in reaching self-sufficiency in local rice production and boost our economy, we equally appeal to the business community to see the exercise as opportunity to further create a conducive environment for local businesses to thrive in the interest of national security and development.
Finally, let me thank you all for attending this press briefing. We continue to count on your support throughout this exercise, which is critical to our national interests and by implication national security.
Statement delivered by Comptroller General of Nigerian Customs Service on behalf of Exercise Swift Response and Nigerian Government.
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