Nigerian Government bans imports, exports through land borders

The Federal Government Monday announced a total ban on the importation and exportation of goods through the land borders nationwide. It was gathered that the decision was in furtherance of the on-going joint border operation, tagged, Exercise Swift Response.

Daily Trust reports that the operation began on August 20, 2019, involving the Nigeria Customs Service and the Immigration Service with support from the Army and other security agencies.

The joint border security is being coordinated by the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) and covers the four geopolitical zones including South-south, South-west, North-central and the North-west.

Briefing newsmen in Abuja, the Comptroller General of Customs, Col. Hameed Ali (rtd) said: “The issue of movement of goods is not the same thing with movement of persons. Let’s understand that all perishable items are on prohibition whether on export or import.

Therefore nobody can carry tomato to the border to import or export. So it makes it easier for us to close and ensure that all goods for now are banned from being exported or imported through our land borders.

“That is to ensure that we have total control over what comes in and what we do. We are strategising on how best the goods can be handled when we get to when this operation will relax,” he said.

– Daily Trust