The commissioner added, “I was wondering who are the parents of these (100) young children, but at the end of the day, only one person was from Nigeria."
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Published 14 January 2021
To traders and businessmen on the Illela/Kwanni border route in Nigeria and Niger Republic respectively, the directive to reopen the land border is a soothing balm after 16 months. However, the three weeks it took the Nigeria Customs Service to open it felt like eternity, ADENIYI OLUGBEMI writes
In another policy somersault, the Federal Executive Council, at its meeting on December 16, 2020, announced the reopening of four land borders closed since August 21, 2019. These are Seme (Lagos), Illela (Sokoto), Maigatari (Jigawa) and Mfun (Cross River.
As a face-saving measure, the FEC said it “approved the reopening of four land borders following the submission of a report by the committee to examine the implication of the closure, among others.”
Onuminya Innocent in Sokoto
About 24 days after the federal government announced the immediate reopening of four of the land borders shut 15 months ago, the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) yesterday officially reopened Illela-Niger border.
With the official reopening of the border, a large number of stakeholders and residents of Illela, Sokoto State and Niger Republic expressed joy at the development
At the official reopening, the Area Comptroller, Sokoto and Zamfara Zone, Mr. Abdulhamid Ma’aji said the economic activities would return to Illeila and its environs.
He urged the stakeholders âto give maximum support to Nigerian Customs and other security agencies so as to help discharge their responsibilities.â
The Federal Government on Tuesday emphasised ban on rice importation.
Mr Abdulhamid Ma’aji, Comptroller, Nigerian Customs Service in charge of Sokoto and Zamfara, made the emphasis at the reopening of Illela Border in Sokoto State.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the government made the emphasis as importers and exporters in Sokoto get excited at the reopening of the Illela border.
Illela border was reopened by dignitaries from Nigeria and Niger Republic.
Ma’aji said that the border reopening was being monitored to ensure sanity.
He said that border closure was in the interest of Nigerians.
The comptroller noted that many instruments used by criminals were brought into the country through land borders.