Tunji-Ojo to Atiku: You can’t reopen borders that are not closed

MaTaZ ArIsInG
Dallas, Texas

Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, minister of interior, has faulted Atiku Abubakar, the former vice-president, over his promise to reopen Nigeria’s land borders if elected president in 2027.

Atiku, presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), made the pledge on Wednesday when a political support group visited him in Abuja.

He said the closure of the country’s borders had affected legitimate trans-border trade and pushed many young entrepreneurs into bankruptcy and unemployment.

“How can there be security? So I said I’m going to reopen the borders,” Atiku said.

He also promised to develop southern ports to boost trade, arguing that more needed to be done to restore legitimate trans-border commerce, particularly along Nigeria’s northern borders with neighbouring countries.

‘NIGERIA’S BORDERS NOT CLOSED’

But in a statement posted on X on Saturday, Tunji-Ojo said Atiku’s claim that the borders were closed was inaccurate.

“As the minister of interior who supervises the Nigeria Immigration Service, being an agency of government in charge of border and migration management, it is expedient to state that Nigerian borders are not closed and so cannot be reopened,” he said.

Tunji-Ojo said several major land borders had been reopened since 2020, including Seme, Illela, Maigatari and Mfum.

He added that Idiroko and Ikom were reopened for goods and services in April 2022, while the Kamba and Tsamiya border crossings in Kebbi state were reopened in February 2026 under the current administration.

The minister also clarified the circumstances surrounding the closure of some border crossings with Cameroon.

He said the Banki and Amchidé crossings were closed in 2014 because of the Boko Haram insurgency, rather than the 2019 trade policy.

According to him, the crossings were reopened in 2019, while Fotokol and Gambaru followed in 2021 after joint military and stabilisation efforts involving Nigeria, Cameroon, Niger and Chad.

Tunji-Ojo said border management involved balancing security with trade and lawful movement rather than choosing between complete closure and unrestricted access.

“Modern border management is not a choice between total closure and unrestricted movement; it requires security, documentation, customs compliance and controlled trade facilitation together,” he said.

He acknowledged that tighter controls remained in place at some northern crossings because of banditry and residual insurgent activity.

The minister challenged Atiku to explain how his proposed border policy would differ from the measures already in place.

“If he has a new border proposal, he should set it out and explain how it differs from the current approach, rather than treating separate trade, security and infrastructure issues as one and the same,” he said.

Tunji-Ojo also cautioned against using political competition to rewrite what he described as the recent history of Nigeria’s border management.

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