ABUJA – The Minister of Interior, Hon. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has formally challenged recent comments made by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar regarding the status of Nigeria’s land borders.
In a statement released on Friday, August 29, 2026, the Minister addressed Mr. Abubakar’s campaign proposal to “reopen” Nigeria’s land borders if elected in 2027, categorically stating that the premise of the claim is factually incorrect.
“As the Minister of Interior who supervises the Nigeria Immigration Service… it is expedient to state that Nigerian borders are not closed and so cannot be reopened,” Tunji-Ojo asserted.
The Minister provided a detailed timeline of border reopenings, noting that the process began under the previous administration in December 2020 with the reopening of key crossings such as Seme, Illela, Maigatari, and Mfum. He added that subsequent openings, including Idiroko, Ikom, Kamba, and Tsamiya, have continued through the current administration, effectively linking Nigeria to the Niger and Benin Republics.
Tunji-Ojo further criticized the former Vice President for conflating trade policy with long-standing security operations. Specifically addressing border closures involving Cameroon and Chad, the Minister clarified that closures at points like Banki and Amchidé were established in 2014 due to the Boko Haram insurgency, rather than the 2019 trade-related closures often cited by critics.
“Folding this separate, security-driven history into one continuous 2019 shutdown misrepresents two distinct issues—trade regulation and counter-insurgency—as a single failure,” the Minister stated.
Addressing concerns over restricted movement at certain northern crossings, Tunji-Ojo emphasized that these are not cases of policy neglect, but rather deliberate security measures. He explained that in areas where banditry or insurgent activity remains a threat, maintaining tighter control is essential to protecting traders and local communities.
The Minister concluded by calling for a more nuanced approach to political discourse, urging Mr. Abubakar to focus on outlining specific policy alternatives rather than “rewriting recent history.”
“Political competition should not become a competition to rewrite recent history,” said Tunji-Ojo. “If he has a new border proposal, he should set it out and explain how it differs from the current approach.”
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