Nigeria has intensified security checks at its border in bid to crack down on food smuggling to neighbouring countries as food inflation and economic crises continue to wreak havoc.
Multiple security agencies have ramped up surveillance and inter-agency cooperation to check the smuggling chain and large-scale stockpiles of food items across several states in the country in states bordering Nigeria’s neighbours.
States in northern Nigeria such as Borno, Niger, Katsina, Sokoto, Kebbi, and Jigawa are seen as areas of major concern.
“There is an ongoing inter-agency operation involving the Customs, DSS, EFCC and other agencies,” said the spokesperson for the Nigerian Customs Abdullahi Maiwada said.
“They moved to the grain markets, especially markets around northern Nigeria, and they were able to discover large-scale smuggling of grains outside of Nigeria and most of these grains are being round-tripped.
“So, there are cartels specialised in round-tripping food items across Nigerian land borders.”
Maiwada said food smugglers buy grains from Nigeria and take them into Niger Republic. They then bring them back and sell at higher prices in foreign currencies, especially the CFA “so that they can be able to buy more food and then take it back to these countries and then bring back and sell in Nigeria.”
At a meeting on Thursday with state governors, Tinubu insisted that sharp practices were affecting food prices but ruled out establishing a price control board.
“We cannot allow speculators, hoarders, and rent seekers to undermine our efforts in ensuring that food is widely available to all Nigerians,” he said in a post on X.
Emphasizing the activities of the Nigeria Customs, Maiwada mentioned that the service had adjusted its strategies and enhanced its monitoring systems at all the borders across the Federation.
“Last week, the Comptroller-General of Customs held a meeting with all area comptrollers in the border areas and he has given the marching order to man these borders and ensure that there is no form of smuggling in their territories. It is emphatic that we are taking action,” he said.
“It is not all about using force or our physical arsenals to fight smuggling. We are also exploring engagement with the populace to tell them why they should not support smuggling. In the next few days, we will reveal further strategies we are taking.”
