Customs Joint Border Patrol: A Parody of Border Security

Every sovereign country secures its borders against all form of criminality such as terrorism, illegal immigration, smuggling, banditry and other anti-trade practices.

It is the preserved prerogative of such country to put up any measure that will safeguard the social and economic well being of its citizens against any harmful or illicit practice that may gain access through its borders.

So, border security and control are inalienable rights of countries irrespective of any regional or international collaborations with other countries.

It was on this premise that Nigeria, last month, decided to tighten its border control in a joint exercise code-named EX-SWIFT RESPONSE.

It was a joint border security exercise by Nigeria Customs Service and Nigeria Immigration Service in collaboration with Armed Forces of Nigeria and other security and intelligence agencies.

The joint border security exercise is coordinated by the office of Chief Security Adviser and affects four geographical zones of South-South, South- West, North-Central and North-West.

In as much as we commend this effort of government to secure the country’s borders in the face of rising economic and social crimes in the country, we find the method adopted distasteful.

At the commencement of the exercise about two weeks ago, members of the joint exercise team stormed the border posts, especially the ones at the South-West of Badagry -Seme and Idiroko borders, in a gestapo style.

Their activities, which the promoters of the exercise later dismissed as ‘ little hitch’ but which we regard as over zealous and over bearing, caused a stir at these borders, cutting off people with legitimate businesses from gaining access from both ends as the borders were completely shut.

Late attempts by the promoters of the joint exercise to rationalise the closure as ‘ partial’ flies away in the face of excruciating pains and agony still being experienced by legitimate business owners and genuine immigrants, two weeks after the exercise began.

We are depressed by the avoidable pains this exercise has brought to legitimate business owners and huge disruption and distortions it has caused the genuine trans- border trade transactions.

We equally find as curious the method adopted by the promoters of the exercise to control and secure our borders.

Except in a war situation or period of hostilities, it is anti-trade to completely shut down border posts.

Countries in advanced climes use technology and intelligence gathering to monitor and control their borders.

Border patrols are meant to maintain borders that function by facilitating free flow of legal immigration and goods while preventing the illegal trafficking of people and contraband.

Unfortunately, such is not the case with the country’s border control strategy which rather tends to impede free flow of legitimate businesses, notwithstanding what the promoters of the exercise may say to the contrary.

The use of helicopters, drones and other technologies are common features of modern border control mechanism in countries that have advanced value for ease of doing business.

It grieves our heart that Nigeria, which has poor standing on the trade index of ease of doing business, would flippantly resort to border closure at the threat of insecurity.

As we earlier acknowledged the propriety of secured and controlled borders, we are not opposed to the present border exercise but only feel bothered by the manner in which it is being carried out.

Nigeria, as a country, should be conscious of the adverse economic consequences of border patrol done in a commando way, a method that will certainly scare away genuine businesses and investors.

We had once pointed out on this platform the imperativeness of government to equip our border control officers, the Nigeria Customs Service and Nigeria Immigration Service, with modern equipment that will enable then carry out effective monitoring and control of our borders.

We then advocated the use of technology, deployment of intelligence sharing with other security agencies as most effective way of combating illicit movement into the country through our land borders, given their vastness and topographical challenges.

We are reiterating the call for such modern techniques to be deployed to guard our borders rather than the present method of mustering a constellation of armed forces personnel at our border posts with their intimidating presence that gives an eerie feeling of being in a war zone.

We condemn the government unrestrained resort to occupation of the border areas with members of the armed forces.

We recall that similar joint border security exercise was carried out in 2014 by Nigeria Customs, Immigration and Nigeria Police.

To resort to the same method again this year shows this ad-hoc arrangement will not mitigate the challenges of border crimes unless a more scientific method is adopted.

It is more likely that after this joint exercise is wound up, the spate of illegality which it meant to prevent would resume with ferocity of a tiger.

Except of course if the government intends to make it a permanent feature at our borders which is most unlikely.

If that is the case, we feel government should seek more decent way of combating crimes at our borders without recourse to this ad-hoc arrangement which to us, has not yielded desirable results.

At the risk of been repetitious, we want to reiterate our call for the use of modern technology , intelligence gathering and information sharing among relevant security agencies as more decent way of combating illicit activities at our borders without disrupting free flow of legitimate businesses and Immigration at these places.

As it is now, the present and previous border control efforts of government are sadly poor imitation of border control and security methods widely adopted and used as norm in international community to stem criminality at the borders without impeding genuine business transactions.