Border reopening: Nigeria, Benin, Niger to start joint patrol to curb smuggling, others

Nigeria, Benin Republic, and Niger are to begin joint border patrol to curtail smuggling, irregular migration and other transnational organised crimes along the country’s border.

Nigeria’s Joint Border Patrol Team (JBPT) replaces Operation SWIFT RESPONSE (OSR), which was launched in August 2019. and coordinated by the Office of the National Security Adviser.

The National Security Adviser (NSA), Major General Babagana Monguno (Rtd) made the disclosure in a goodwill message made available to journalists signed by the National Public Relations Officer of the Nigeria Customs Service DC, Joseph Attah on behalf of the Comptroller-General of Customs.

Monguno applauded the unflinching commitment of the security operatives to the national assignment and urged them not to rest on their oars.

With the reopening of the borders for commercial activities, he warned that items such as parboiled rice, frozen chicken, illicit drugs, among others remain prohibited.

The statement reads, “In a renewed effort to combat smuggling, irregular migration and other transnational organised crimes along the nation’s border coupled with the gradual reopening of the borders, Operation SWIFT RESPONSE (OSR) which was launched in August 2019 and coordinated by the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) has transformed into Nigeria’s Joint Border Patrol Team (JBPT) as part of a Tripartite Operation, comprising Benin, Niger and Nigeria.

With the reopening of the borders for commercial activities, items such as parboiled rice, frozen chicken, illicit drugs, among others remain prohibited”.

The NSA further stated that the joint patrols would be adequately administered and charged the operatives to display a high level of professionalism during the operation with their neighbouring counterparts.

This, according to Monguno was because Nigeria has a widely acclaimed track record of security operations not just at the ECOWAS level, but the world at large.