Ifeyinwa Obi
WITH the anxiety over   alleged arms  proliferation into the country via the Seme borders ahead of the 2011 elections,  the Nigerian customs and the Benin Republic gendarme has commenced joint border patrols of all illegal routes in and out of the country.

The recent activities followed the resuscitation of hitherto joint security meetings by the two countries by the new Comptroller of the border, Mr. Kura  Maitama.

It was gathered that a crack and roving squad had been put in place to screen every trucks that passes through the borders in line with customs one hundred per cent destination inspection.  Though customswatch  was told that the team has not yet intercepted any such truck with arms and ammunition, it had however, severally impounded trucks of prohibited goods; including textiles worth  millions of naira.

Maitama said apart from the regular security meetings of all the security agencies operating at the borders, the Nigeria customs which is the cynosure of all eyes has taken it upon it self to jointly organized discreet patrol of all the routes including illegal ones to forestall incidence arms being imported into the country through the borders.

The present  move the comptroller said has paid off adding that, a total of 28 seizures with duty paid value (DPV) of N20.4.6m were made within two weeks of the of September alone.

He said, “With the resuscitation of the almost moribund security meetings with Benin Republic, and the logistics provided by the Comptroller General, the command  has intensified the patrol of the border through the establishment of roving and crack patrol teams.The patrol teams now comb all the illegal routes in the bush and swamp areas to forestall incidence of arms importation.  As I speak with you we have not had any of such incidence but we have resolved that the 100% destination inspection cannot be compromised.

Even the Benin Republic likes the idea as it is paying off as Comptroller Maitama promptly established cordial relationship with its Beninoise counterpart moments after he assumed office,” he added.