Interior Minister Tackles Atiku, Sets Record Straight on Nigeria’s Land Borders

The Federal Government has pushed back against claims by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar regarding the status of the country’s international boundaries, clarifying that Nigeria’s land borders are active and cannot be reopened.

The response from Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo—whose ministry oversees the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS)—follows campaign remarks in which the presidential contender pledged to reopen land borders linking Nigeria with neighboring countries like Benin Republic, Niger, Chad, and Cameroon if elected.

Setting the record straight, Tunji-Ojo explained that portraying the nation’s borders as locked misrepresents recent border management history. He outlined a clear timeline of border reactivations, noting that major entry points such as Seme, Illela, Maigatari, and Mfum were reopened as far back as late 2020, followed by Idiroko and Ikom in 2022. He added that the current administration further reopened the Kamba and Tsamiya border corridors in Kebbi State to facilitate cross-border movement and legitimate commerce.

Addressing claims concerning Cameroon border crossings at Banki and Amchidé, the minister pointed out that their past closure stemmed from military countermeasures against Boko Haram insurgency in 2014, rather than trade regulations. He explained that those routes, along with Fotokol and Gambaru, were progressively reopened following joint security operations involving Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad, and Niger.

Tunji-Ojo cautioned against merging security-driven restrictions with general trade policies. While acknowledging that heightened security checks remain active in specific areas vulnerable to banditry or residual insurgent activity, he emphasized that targeted controls protect border communities and commercial operators from severe security risks.

The Interior Minister reiterated that contemporary border management is not a simple binary choice between complete shutdown and unrestricted access, but a coordinated balance of national security, biometric documentation, customs regulation, and trade facilitation. He urged political leaders to focus on presenting clear, comprehensive policy alternatives rather than oversimplifying complex trade and security dynamics.