The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, has said that arrests and seizures made in the last two weeks indicate that Benin Republic and Niger Republic have not done much to address the issues leading to Nigeria’s closure of its land borders.
Mohammed, who led the Federal Government delegation on tour of the Seme border, said goods worth N4 billion were seized while 296 illegal migrants were arrested in the last two weeks.
Mohammed who was accompanied by the Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, and the Minister of State for Finance and National Planning, said Nigeria has a duty to protect its national interest.
The minister also addressed the protesters who staged a peaceful demonstration demand for quick resolution of the issues leading to the closure of the country’s borders.
He said that the partial closure of the land borders has so far curbed the smuggling of foreign rice and other prohibited items into the country.
Besides, he said that 95 percent of illicit drugs and weapons that are being used for acts of terrorism and kidnapping in Nigeria today come in through te porous borders.
Other items seized include; 38,743 bags (50kg bags) of rice; 514 vehicles; 1,012 drums filled of petrol; 5,400 jerricans of vegetable oil; 346 motorcycles; 10,553 jerricans of petrol and 136 bags of fertilizer.
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