Government of Nigeria @NigeriaGov

STATEMENT FROM JOINT PRESS BRIEFING ON EXERCISE SWIFT RESPONSE [The joint border security exercise along Nigeria’s borders] | 14 October 2019

4:04 PM • Oct 14, 2019

Some of you will recall that as part of measures to secure Nigeria’s land and maritime borders, the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) and Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), in collaboration with the Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN) as well as the Nigeria Police Force (NPF)

and other security and intelligence agencies commenced a joint border security exercise, codenamed ‘EX-SWIFT RESPONSE’ in 4 geopolitical zones of the country, namely; South South, South West, North Central and North West on the 20th August 2019.

The exercise is being coordinated by the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) and is aimed at better securing our borders in order to strengthen our economy and address other trans-border security concerns.

Over time, Nigeria has been confronted with numerous trans-border economic and security challenges. These challenges range from banditry, kidnapping, smuggling, illegal migrants and proliferation of light weapons amongst others.

Meanwhile, the preference for foreign goods, especially food items like rice has continuously impoverished our farmers and adversely affected domestic government policies supporting the agricultural sector to enhance food security.

It is however disturbing that some neighbouring countries circumvent the ECOWAS protocol on transit.

For clarity, the ECOWAS protocol on transit demands that when a transit container berths at a seaport, the receiving country is mandated to escort same without tampering with the seal to the border of the destination country.

Unfortunately, experience has shown that our neighbours do not comply with this protocol. Rather, they break the seals of containers at their ports and trans-load goods destined for Nigeria.

The partial border closure has so far curbed the smuggling of foreign rice into the country, in addition to other prohibited items.

Our series of interactions and engagements with Rice Millers Association of Nigeria since the commencement of this exercise, has shown that the border closure has enhanced more production and milling of Nigerian rice.

Patronage of Nigerian rice has increased and farmers are expanding their farms as well as engaging more hands.

Furthermore, the border closure has impacted positively on revenue generation of the Federal Government which in turn will be used to build more infrastructures and develop critical sectors of the nation’s economy.

The border exercise has also curbed diversion of petroleum products from Nigeria to neighbouring countries.

In the area of security, the ongoing exercise has recorded a number of seizures and arrests that would have had grave security consequences. So far, 317 suspected smugglers and 146 illegal migrants have been arrested.

Also, items seized include; 21,071-50kg bags of parboiled foreign rice; 190 vehicles; 891 drums filled with PMS; 2665 Jerri cans of vegetable oil; 66,000 litre tanker of vegetable oil; 133 motorcycles; 70 Jerri cans of PMS & 131 bags of NPK fertilizer used for making explosives.

The estimated monetary value of the apprehended items is about N1,429,562,315.00.

It is important to note that 95 percent of illicit drugs and weapons that are being used for acts of terrorism and kidnapping in Nigeria today come in through our porous borders. However, since this partial closure, the acts have been drastically reduced.

Our conclusion is that, the arms and ammunition these terrorists and criminal elements were using are no longer gaining access into the country. In addition, the illicit drugs which affect the health and the wellbeing of Nigerians have equally been reduced.

The Government of Nigeria, through diplomatic channels, will continue to engage our neighbours to agree to comply with the ECOWAS Protocol on Transit.

Goods that are on the prohibition list to Nigeria, such as rice, used clothing, poultry products and vegetable oil should not be exported to the country.

As a result of this closure, Niger Republic has already circulated an order banning exportation of rice in any form to Nigeria.

In addition, the National Assembly has supported the executive directive on the border closure & the efforts of security agencies in executing the task.

Exercise Swift Response has provided a unique platform for the various participating agencies to jointly operate together thereby strengthening inter-agency collaboration and reducing animosity.

It is also necessary to place on record that this is the first exercise in recent times, that military, paramilitary as well as intelligence and security agencies have come together to conduct such an exercise which is akin to a National Security exercise.


We will continue to seek the support of all and sundry including the media to ensure that the desired objectives of this exercise; to promote a secured, peaceful and prosperous Nigeria, are fully achieved.

While we call on Nigerian local rice consumers to be patriotic by patronizing Nigerian rice, as this will further help the country in reaching self-sufficiency in local rice production and boost our economy, ...

... we equally appeal to the business community to see the exercise as opportunity to further create a conducive environment for local businesses to thrive in the interest of national security and development.

Finally, let me thank you all for attending this press briefing. We continue to count on your support throughout this exercise, which is critical to our national interests and by implication national security. //

Statement delivered by Comptroller General of @CustomsNG, on behalf of Exercise Swift Response and @NigeriaGov.

https://twitter.com/NigeriaGov/status/1183760563391913984

Sweet mouth

The cycle will continue. Those seized goods will from the hands of the elites drip into the hands of the masses.

Then, after a while, they will relent and close the border again when their palms had been greased.
I guess smugglers are no longer paying enough.


***

FTC after how many years. Make sense....

Hah.....wen we neva reach any where wey near self sufficiency for rice production??.....mogbe ooo

Las las b4 christmas rice go reach like 50-60k per bag??

We don die finish!!

Ok

E done happen.



Get your smart epin W.A.E.C , N.E.C.O from w.w.w.i.c.o.n.n.ecta d.o.t N.e.t

In as much i don't like APC, PDP or any other party, i just want to say my mind. On this border closure issue, Buhari try.

Is that all??

Hmm....

ok

Badonasty:


Nice move by Nigerian government...these other countries are just feeding fat on us...time to drop that 'big brother's status

You sign #AfCFTA, and then close your border, and then "completely" close the border.

All the while, ignoring that you've lost the ability (for years now), to effectively police the borders.

if you want to ban a commodity, you have to factor in the demand of the commodity and how much your people rely on it. You don't go and ban importation of Rice when the indigenous farmers don't have the necessary quantity demanded by the nationals. There should have been a timeframe before such is implemented

We go learn by force. Hardship will go round.

naptu2:
Government of Nigeria @NigeriaGov



https://twitter.com/NigeriaGov/status/1183760563391913984

Nice move by Nigerian government...these other countries are just feeding fat on us...time to drop that 'big brother's status

So why telling us Any level Ona 1 push the suffer to, we die here together

Bossontop:

Hah.....wen we neva reach any where wey near self sufficiency for rice production??.....mogbe ooo

Las las b4 christmas rice go reach like 50-60k ler bag??

We don die finish!!

U no join pple wey vote buhari?

If it was better border we would have been hearing it on tweeter or cnn them but as na olooku their border nobody send
Imagine better country close border it would be world news but as na...

There should be aggressive agricultural revolution to produce enough agricultural produce for Nigeria population that is spiraling.

it will stop importation of boko members too
nice move

OK o

If we don't start now, when are we going to start? We just keep postponing what will one day happen. My prayer be say, make them continue and no relent.

Wrong timing of the closure is the only problem as we are now heading to hyper food scarcity soon.

Ok. Not bad.

Nice move by BuBu

[s]

solmusdesigns:

[/s]

sylve11:
In as much i don't like APC, PDP or any other party, i just want to say my mind. On this border closure issue, Buhari try.

Why praise a people-choking policy?

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See how Nigeria is flexing muscle again all the small nations.
South Africans kills us, destroy our businesses finish. Na we still go beg.

All this busy body we go see how e go end

The border closure is yielding fruits. If not anything, the herdsmen attacks has reduced significantly.

No. Matter what... We go still survive... We are used to dx kinda stuff already.

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