The House of Representatives has called on the Federal Government to reopen the borders with Niger Republic. The Green Parliamentary Assembly specifically urged the unlocking of the Maigatari, Mai’Aduwa, Kongwalam, and Illela borders. This resolution, presented by Kano member Aliyu Madaki, was adopted during the plenary session on Tuesday.
The closure of the borders with Niger Republic, implemented after a military coup in the neighboring country in August of the previous year, has been a consequence of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) embargo. The Nigeria Customs Service clarified that the closure was in response to an ECOWAS directive to restrict cargo movement, emphasizing that it was not a declaration of war.
The motion highlighted the impact of the border closure on the populace, causing indescribable sufferings and fostering hostility between Nigerian citizens and their counterparts in Niger. The affected border towns, including Maigatari in Jigawa, Kongwalam in Katsina, and Illela in Sokoto, were described as large markets facilitating substantial international trades with neighboring nations such as Niger, Mali, Chad, and Cameroon.
Aliyu Madaki emphasized that the border closure had led to an increase in smuggling activities, with a rising number of youth in the affected communities engaging in such activities. There were concerns that some individuals had been lured into terrorism and criminality, contributing to the existing insecurity in Nigeria.
The motion proposed that reopening the borders and implementing tight control over cross-border markets would promote peaceful and cordial relations between Nigeria and its neighboring countries. It was argued that this action would help curb smuggling and trans-border criminality, which had adversely affected the nation’s economy and image.
During the plenary session, Speaker Tajudeen Abbas put the motion to a voice vote, and it received approval. However, an amendment to the motion, calling for the restoration of some southern border crossings previously closed under the administration of Major-General Muhammadu Buhari, faced opposition from legislators.
