Smuggling: Nigeria’s security officials begin joint border patrol with Benin, Niger

By Emma Ujah, Abuja Bureau Chief

Nigeria’s border security officials under the Operation Swift Response (OSR) have commenced a joint patrol t with their counterparts from the Republics of Benin and Niger.

The Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, said that OSR has transformed into Nigeria’s Joint Border Patrol Team, JBPT, in a renewed effort to combat transnational crimes on the borders of the three countries.

A statement by the NCS spokesman, Mr Joseph Attah, DC, yesterday,  “In a renewed effort to combat smuggling, irregular migration and other transitional organised crimes along the nation’s border coupled with the gradual reopening of the borders, OSR which was launched in August  2019  and coordinated by the Office of the National Security Adviser, ONSA, has transformed into Nigeria’s Joint Border Patrol Team as part of a Tripartite Operation, comprising Benin, Niger and Nigeria.”

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The Nigeria Customs also clarified that despite the re-opening of the borders for commercial activities, “items such as parboiled rice, frozen chicken, illicit drugs, among others remain prohibited.”

NCS said that a year and four months into the operation, the smuggling of illicit drugs and proliferation of small arms and light weapons used to exacerbate Violent Extremism and Terrorism in some parts of the country had been significantly curbed.

“This is in addition to the quantum of seizures of prohibited items and numbers of arrested irregular migrants as the operation progresses.

“As at  January 5, 2021, 1,401  irregular migrants had been arrested while the total seizures were;  159,506.7-(50kg) bags of parboiled foreign rice;  10,447  bags of NPK fertilizer  used for making explosives;  1,974  Vehicles;  895motorcycles; 18,690.3 jerricans of vegetable oil, among other seized items.  The total monetary value of the apprehended items is about N 12.538billion.”

Customs said that the priority of the patrol team remained security of the nation by stopping any item that could compromise the nation’s interests.

Vanguard News Nigeria

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