Nigeria’s borders to be reopened soon – Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari said on Tuesday Nigeria’s borders with other neighbouring countries in West Africa would be reopened soon.

The president, according to a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, stated this during a security meeting with the 36 state governors held at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

He said closure of Nigeria’s land borders was aimed at checking the importation of weapons and drugs into the country.

Buhari asked the state governors to work more with traditional rulers and community members to improve local intelligence gathering for the security agencies.

The president said: “Now that the message has sunk in with our neighbours, we are looking into reopening the borders as soon as possible.

READ ALSO: Nigeria has benefited hugely from border closure – Buhari

“The sub-region is no longer safe, more so with the collapse of the former Libyan leader, Muammar Gaddafi’s regime and the cross border movement of weapons and criminals.

“Governors must work with traditional rulers. Try and work with traditional rulers to boost intelligence gathering.”

President Buhari said his administration has done well in the North- East and South-South, adding that the South-South situation was still worrisome.

“Every day I get situation reports about illegal refineries and the blowing up of pipelines. You must stop local rogues from sabotaging oil installations,” he told the governors.

The federal government ordered the closure of Nigeria’s borders in August last year in a bid to check the importation of substandard products and weapons into the country.

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