₦airaland Forum

Olubunmni Tunji-Ojo @BTOofficial

ATIKU’S BORDER CLAIM: WERE THE BORDERS CLOSED?

Attention has been drawn to comments by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar on his plans to reopen Nigeria’s land borders if elected President in 2027.

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.

On 16 December 2020, the previous government reopened Seme, Illela, Maigatari and Mfum, with the rest to follow. Idiroko and Ikom were reopened for goods and services on 20 April 2022, and Kamba and Tsamiya, in Kebbi State, followed under the current administration in February 2026, linking to Niger Republic and Benin Republic respectively.

The former Vice President named Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Benin Republic specifically. The prolonged closures on the Cameroon border, at Banki and Amchidé, did not arise from the 2019 trade policy at all. They date to 2014, when Boko Haram forced their closure for security reasons, and reopened in 2019, with Fotokol and Gambaru following in 2021, after joint military and stabilisation efforts by Nigeria, Cameroon, Niger and Chad.

Folding this separate, security driven history into one continuous 2019 shutdown misrepresents two distinct issues, trade regulation and counter insurgency, as a single failure.

Not every northern crossing is fully unrestricted today. Where banditry or residual insurgent activity persists, tighter control is a deliberate security judgement, not neglect, since reopening ahead of the security situation would expose traders and border communities to greater risk.

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

Political competition should not become a competition to rewrite recent history. 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.

Hon. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo
Minister of Interior
Federal Republic of Nigeria
August 29, 2026

Source

Previous threads:


2023 threads

Moment Idiroko Border Was Opened By Custom Officials (video)
https://www.nairaland.com/7717354/moment-idiroko-border-opened-custom

Breaking News- Tinubu Opens Up Borders To All Type Of Food Import .
https://www.nairaland.com/7766993/breaking-news-tinubu-opens-up

FG Reopens Six Land Borders, To Probe Reasons Buhari Closed Borders
https://www.nairaland.com/7761430/fg-reopens-six-land-borders

2024 threads

Tinubu Opens Land, Air Borders With Niger Rep, Lifts Other Sanctions
https://www.nairaland.com/8029273/tinubu-opens-land-air-borders


Tinubu Orders Customs To Return Seized Food Items To Owners
https://www.nairaland.com/8025716/tinubu-orders-customs-return-seized

Akin Olaoye is a former Obidient.

Akin Olaoye @akintollgate

I listened to Atiku on reopening Northern borders so “economically displaced” youths can find work.

It is half-truth, packaged as rage bait.

The official border is not closed to Nigerians doing legitimate trade. What was shut and must stay shut, are the illegal tracks that feed weapons, drugs, stolen petroleum and human smuggling into the North. There are 84 official border routes and over 1,400 plus illegal smuggling routes that must remain shut.

You do not create jobs by reopening the supply line of the bandit economy. Security is the first market.

While Atiku sells an open bush path as policy, this government has been putting real ladders in front of Northern youths.

For me programs like NELFUND, 3MTT and TVET skills, agri value-chain programmes across nine Northern states and BOI/AGSMEIS credit are true drivers.

A region grows where farms, schools, industries and markets can function. Not where smugglers set the timetable.

Atiku should speak to Nigerian voters with the full truth, not the convenient half.
Nigeria Forward 🇳🇬💚

https://x.com/akintollgate/status/2093248823430705435

ATIKU your desperation is bringing out your real scamming

The question is Is there an official statement from government that the borders have been opened?
Or did they just allow the likes of IDD DENDE to be smugglung goods across the borders?

Steady misyarning from Atiku while some people have been nodding head to it without processing them logically.

Those are the average supporters of the opposition leaders. They wouldn't mind to insult others for correcting the lies and exaggeration of their principals

Btw, how do you expect Atiku to know if some borders are opened or closed when he's not based in Nigeria.

After the election, Atiku don't even waste time before relocating to Dubai, when the election is a year to come, that's when he will start talking about the country he always abandon after the election.

So many hypocritical opposition candidates

I was actually surprised Atiku isn’t well informed. Border wey dem don open years ago. Atiku is weak, tired & confused..

clarocuzioo:
The question is Is there an official statement from government that the borders have been opened?
Or did they just allow the likes of IDD DENDE to be smugglung goods across the borders?

Check it out

https://www.nairaland.com/8029273/tinubu-opens-land-air-borders

We all know those Atikulate defending n supporting Atiku to bring herdsmen to continue banditry n boko haram to displace communities in the Middle East.

That is what Atiku is implying n not necessarily legit trade deals n businesses.

If you doubt my claim ask El Rufia n a same place he n Atiku sleep put head.

Or you mean a mole that was frustrated out because nobody shared information with him?

naptu2:
Akin Olaoye is a former Obidient.

Akin Olaoye @akintollgate



https://x.com/akintollgate/status/2093248823430705435

Meanwhile, what's happening in Niger today?

PBAT isn't trying when it comes to borders. I was driving to idiroko border and those custom guys said my tank is too full that I want to smuggle the fuel to Benin republic, btw I no even get time to drag. One call! Then at that idiroko border town, you see filling stations,people's investments gone cuz that wicked man Buhari stopped them from selling even to Nigerians in our own land.But this custom guys make lots of money daily as people go as far as owode to buy fuel in gallons and sell in bottles as per black market price.
May God give PBAT the wisdom to fix this issue.

We all know Atiku Abubakar is using this to play politics and not for the masses. Borders are opened so I wonder which borders he is talking about

Why are we listening to atiku in big 2026?

Atiku will promise anything at this stage.

I won’t be surprised tomorrow is he say he go donate his kidney for sick people.

This is his last chance so it’s okay to throw all sort of propaganda

I’m not sure Atiku knows what he’s saying. Is he dropping all these lies to gain pity for the upcoming election? He won’t still win though. Kudos to the Minister for debunking his lies

Atiku wants to open the border wider so his Fulani brothers will invade the country...

Alhaji is only being desperate. However, nigerians are aware that our borders remain open for business.

Atiku hope this Information get to you well. Thank you very much Sir for this clarification

Help me ask dubai landlord who is a leap year Nigerian politician, serially contesting elections every 4 years.

Same fate as always awaits mallam leap year

atiku should open border for food and economic growth

not for terrorism
bring back fuel subsidy.

clarocuzioo:
The question is Is there an official statement from government that the borders have been opened?
Or did they just allow the likes of IDD DENDE to be smugglung goods across the borders?

If you want to hide something from a black man, put it in a book, or in an article as the case may be.

Please stop stressing Baba Atiku. Baba addresses issues one by one, he is currently reading 2021 newspapers and will get to 2026 in the next 3 years.

Let us appreciate Hon. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo for shedding adequate light on this subject. It brings to bare the propaganda motive of the perennial Presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar. Atiku is now trying to grab every straw that is close enough to him to escape going down with his sinking Presidential campaign ship. Only him it was who promised, thoughtlessly, to return Petro subsidy. Now he has promised to reopen already opened borders. I don't believe he is not informed. Rather, he just wants to keep pushing populist propaganda, knowing most of his followers are grossly uninformed.

Yes. Very yes. Big yes. Bother is still closed in Easterns, only northern borders opened. Because if bother is open, by now, both rice, chicken, turkey, veg oil would have cheap by now.

naptu2:
Olubunmni Tunji-Ojo @BTOofficial



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Bunmi no understand English. Which goods fit enter Naija through those borders?

All of una na lielie abeg make we hear word

Nigerians needs to be conscious and deliberate about political aspirants through their actions and words. Atiku should know better ignorant is an can't be an excuse on his part and building his campaign on lies 😔.
Thank you for the clarification sir

Facts over political narratives. Hon. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo has clearly separated history from rhetoric. Nigeria’s borders are not “closed” as claimed; border management today is about security, documentation and controlled trade facilitation.

Rather than rewrite history for political points, let’s acknowledge the reforms and focus on how to make our borders safer and more efficient. BTO is doing the job. 🇳🇬