The customs’ Public Relations Officer, Mr. Joseph Attah, said this while reacting to the Service’s leaked memo in the media.
In an interview with News Agency of Nigeria in Abuja on Sunday, Attah explained that the internal memo was referring to the end of a phase of the joint security operations known as “Ex Swift Response.”
According to him, the memo is not on the terminal date for the partial border closure.
He said that security operation of this kind was usually in phases.
NAN reports that the NCS Comptroller-General, Col. Hameed Ali (rtd) had recently said the main objective of the border closure was to ensure that neighbouring countries complied with the ECOWAS protocols on transit.
Ali explained that the protocol on transit mandated customs in the neighbouring countries to escort items coming to Nigeria to the borders so the importers would not evade payment of duties.
The customs boss added that the closure of the borders had helped to reduce the incessant attacks by bandits.
He said that the measure had also helped in curtailing the influx of arms and ammunition into the country.
The leaked memo by the Comptroller (Enforcement) of the Nigeria Customs Service, Mr. Victor Dimka, dated November 1, circulating in the media had said that President Muhammadu Buhari had extended border closure to January 2020.
Dimka in the leaked internal memo said that the ongoing closure of the land borders had recorded an “overwhelming success.”
He, however, said that there were some objectives yet to be achieved hence the extension.
(NAN)
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Nigeria Custom