On December 16, President Muhammadu Buhari ordered the immediate reopening of four land borders, namely: Seme in Lagos, Illela in Sokoto, Maigatari in Jigawa and Mfun in Cross River. But the order was not complied with immediately. While Seme was reopened five days after the president’s pronouncement, Illela was still shut at the time this report was filed. Traders and residents spoke with TheCable on how the 16-month closure caused untold hardship and deflated their businesses.
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On Saturday, it was glaring that activities along the border were yet to come alive as just a very few taxis parked on the road to pick passengers from the Badagry roundabout to Seme border. Most of the vehicles ferrying passengers to the border were driven by men in uniform who work at the borders, but making quick cash as transporters since commercial drivers deserted the route after the closure of the border. The official, who picked up this reporter to the border, works with the Nigeria