FG yet to lift ban on vehicle importation through Seme border, says NCS

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) says the federal government has not lifted the ban on vehicle importation through Seme border.

Reports had posited that the border was now open to vehicle importation.

Hussaini Abdullahi, customs public relations officer (CPRO), Seme area command, clarified the situation in an interview with NAN on Saturday.

Abdullahi said the government has not made a pronouncement on reopening the border. 

He acknowledged that a proposal was written by some freight forwarders to the federal government following an advice from Ademola Adegoroye, the former minister of state for transportation.

He said the former minister had visited the border to inaugurate some projects in February when the freight forwarders complained to him about how the ban had affected them.

He said Adegoroye advised the freight forwarders and members of the border community to put their request in writing.

The customs spokesperson said during a recent visit by Ibrahim Musa, director of road transport in the ministry of transportation, it was confirmed that the letter by the freight forwarders had been received and acted upon — by passing it to a higher authority.

He said no directive had been given on the matter.

Former President Muhammadu Buhari had, in August 2019, shut all land borders as part of efforts to curtail smuggling and boost local production of rice. 

On December 6, 2020, Buhari ordered the immediate reopening of four land borders, including Seme in Lagos.