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Borders Will Not Be Reopened – Customs
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Ali stated this at Maigatari/Niger border, Maigatari Local Government Area of Jigawa State while fielding questions from newsmen.
“But there is no specific time for opening the borders. However, if they agree with us tomorrow on the existing laws, then we sign and update the existing protocol of transit, that’s all.
“And we are looking forward to meeting with them and there are moves to sit with them to make them understand why we are doing what we are doing and what we want to achieve by doing what we are doing,” Ali said.
When asked about the consequences of closing the borders, he said, “if you check our website, you will see the seizures and interception we’ve made”.
He said that by closing the borders, Nigeria was able to completely block the importation of contraband.
“We are able to completely block the influxes of illicit goods, and most importantly, stopped the exportation of petroleum product which is the biggest problem we have,” Ali said.
According to him, through the measure, the importation of foreign rice has stopped and the market for local varieties has risen.
“We’ve also stopped the influx of rice and our rice is now selling.
“Even those selling garri that have been abandoned because there was cheap rice are making brisk business.
“This is because people are now buying garri as food. So, I think the economy is now picking up and we are grateful for that,” he said.
When asked about petty traders who are unable to bring goods to the neighbouring countries, Ali said “There must be collateral damage in this kind of situation. Somebody must miss one or two things.”
He said the number of petty traders affected was insignificant compared to gains recorded through the operation.
Ali said Nigeria’s neighbours had no reason allowing cars, cooking oil and other contraband items to pass through their borders into Nigeria.
“For instance, Niger has no reason to allow rice, cooking oil and other illicit goods to pass through its borders to come to Nigeria.
“So, if it is their national interest to collect revenue it is our national interest to close our borders until we sit down and discuss,” Ali said.
He warned that any officer caught conniving to pave way for the importation of contraband items into the country would have himself to blame.
“Some of these things happened in connivance with some of our men. We are trying our best to see that we produce what we consume, particularly rice.
“But the police are being bastardised in connivance with some of my officers. We’re aware of that.
“So, if we catch you, you know where to go, no compromise and you will have yourself to blame.
The customs boss who was at the border to inspect the on-going Operation Border Drill, said: “This is the first time the entire military and paramilitary come together to ensure security and wellbeing of Nigerians, as well as stop human trafficking.
Ali was with the Comptroller General of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Mr Mohammed Babandede, and Brig. Gen. Emmanuel Aliyu Ndagi, Head of the operation.
(NAN)
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has dared the President Bola Tinubu administration to investigate him (Atiku) over allegations of wrongdoing in the $16 billion power sector fund, saying recycled accusations should not be used to avoid accountability for subsidy savings.
Reacting on Wednesday through his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku described the sudden revival of old allegations on power, privatisation and public assets as a ploy to divert attention from pressing questions about the management of public resources.
“The National Assembly investigated the power projects. I was never invited to answer any allegation of wrongdoing,” Atiku said.
“Yes, I chaired the National Council on Privatisation as Vice President. But on the power project, I disagreed with its concept and did not preside over its implementation. The responsible minister did. The same applies to the Aluminium Smelter matter.”
The presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) said he had consistently called for investigation into any claim against him since leaving office in 2007.
“I have repeatedly asked to be investigated. I left office in 2007 and have spent much of the period since then opposing governments in power. If there is evidence that I stole public money, why has no government produced it before a court?
“It is still not too late. Investigate me. Invite me. Produce the evidence. Prosecute me if you have a case. But propaganda cannot substitute for evidence,” he said.
Atiku argued that the attacks intensified because he has been demanding transparency on the funds saved from fuel subsidy removal.
“They removed subsidy from the poor and promised that the sacrifice would free resources for development. Nigerians accepted extraordinary pain on that promise.
“Today, petrol is more expensive, transportation is more expensive, food is more expensive and the purchasing power of the Nigerian worker has been devastated.
“Meanwhile, government revenues have increased, while fiscal incentives, waivers, tax credits and concessions continue to be available to powerful economic interests.
“So our question remains brutally simple: Where is the people’s money?” he asked.
According to him, government cannot withdraw relief from ordinary Nigerians while granting concessions to the wealthy and then claim that intervention for the poor is “economically irresponsible.”
“You cannot take relief away from the poor, celebrate the resulting revenue and then tell the same impoverished citizens that government intervention on their behalf is economically irresponsible while interventions benefiting powerful interests are called incentives. That hypocrisy is precisely what we are challenging,” Atiku stated.
He said no amount of “sponsored social-media mudslinging” would silence him from demanding accountability.
“The people who removed subsidy from the poor cannot frighten us into silence by resurrecting allegations that governments with all the investigative machinery of the Nigerian state have had nearly two decades to establish.
“If you have evidence against Atiku, bring it. If you have a case, prosecute it.
“But if you have neither, stop manufacturing distractions and answer Nigerians: You removed the subsidy. You collected the savings. Where is the money?”
The President of Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Ibrahim Gusau, has announced his resignation from office.
He made the announcement during a press conference at the NFF Glass House in Abuja on Thursday.
Addressing journalists, Gusau said he decided to step aside to give other Nigerians the opportunity to contribute to the development of football in the country.
He maintained that despite the failure of the federation’s men’s and women’s teams to qualify for the World Cups, he is leaving the NFF in a better position than he found it.
Gusau also disclosed that he had advised members of his board to resign, but said he is not aware of any board member who had so far stepped down.
“I just want to tell you that I decided to resign my position as the NFF President. I informed my board members and advised them that anybody who wants to follow me to also resign, but as I am talking to you I cannot tell you who and who or how many board members that have resigned,” he said.
A United States-based policy advisory and lobbying firm, Von Batten-Montague-York, has alleged that Nigeria’s President, Bola Tinubu, spent millions of dollars to prevent the release of records of his alleged drug trafficking case.
Von Batten-Montague-York made this allegation in a post on its verified X handle late Tuesday.
According to the firm, Tinubu’s claim that he was not attempting to block the release of the records is contradictory to the action of his own legal team in the ongoing Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) case.
It accused Tinubu of having petitioned the court and consulted with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Drug Enforcement Administration, DEA, as part of efforts to prevent the records from being released.
“Despite claiming innocence, Tinubu has spent millions of dollars to ensure that his drug trafficking records are never released.
“The description of the underlying matter is merely a civil case. The involvement of US law-enforcement agencies in the records dispute demonstrated that the matter involved sensitive investigative material,” the firm said.
The latest allegation from the firm came against the backdrop of the ongoing legal battle over the release of records held by the US Department of Justice, DOJ, FBI and DEA, concerning historical investigations involving Tinubu.
United States District judge, Beryl Howell, had granted Donald Trump-appointed attorney, Jeanine Pirro, additional days to release the alleged drug-trafficking records.
Tinubu had joined the request of the US Department of Justice for a 10-day extension to respond to a motion seeking the release of records relating to allegations of drug trafficking.
