President Muhammadu Buhari Monday approved the deployment of e-customs to secure Nigeria’s frontiers with Niger, Benin, Chad and Cameroon, just as the nation saves 10.2 million litres of petrol daily thanks to the border closure.
The e-customs means all customs service’s tools be driven by technology to manage the borders.
Nigeria shut its borders with the four countries after repeated warning over the influx of prohibited goods, arms and persons.
Comptroller-General of Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Col. Hameed Ali (rtd) said on Monday in Abuja that Nigeria has since August 20 when the borders were shut been saving 10.2 million litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), from being smuggled out.
Ali and his counterpart from the Nigeria Immigration Service, Mr Mohammed Babandede, in Abuja on Monday said the joint border security exercise, codenamed “Exercise Swift Response”, would not end until the affected countries accede to ECOWAS protocol on trade and movement of persons.
The Exercise Swift Response, coordinated by the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), he also explained would tighten security particularly around the land and maritime borders.
“From the record available to me, the consumption of PMS in the country has reduced by 10.2 million litres since the border operation began.
“This means that this amount of fuel was being smuggled to the neighbouring countries before the exercise began.’’
“Our men will remain at the borders for as long as it will take the neighbouring countries to adhere to ECOWAS protocols on transit.’’
The exercise, he explained, was to secure and protect the lives of people by ensuring adequate security of Nigerian borders “no matter what’’.
MM/as/APA