Tunji-Ojo to Atiku: Nigeria’s Borders Are Not Closed, Reopening Claim Misleading

The Minister of Interior, Hon. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has faulted former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s claim that he would reopen Nigeria’s land borders if elected President in 2027, saying the borders were never shut and therefore cannot be reopened.

In a statement issued on Friday, August 29, 2026, Tunji-Ojo, who oversees the Nigeria Immigration Service, said the narrative being pushed by Atiku misrepresents the facts of border management under the last two administrations.

“Attention has been drawn to comments by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar on his plans to reopen Nigeria’s land borders if elected President in 2027. 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,” the minister said.

He gave a timeline of reopenings: On December 16, 2020, the previous administration reopened Seme, Illela, Maigatari and Mfum borders, with others to follow. Idiroko and Ikom were reopened for goods and services on April 20, 2022. Under the current administration, Kamba and Tsamiya in Kebbi State were reopened in February 2026, linking Nigeria to Niger and Benin Republics respectively.

Addressing Atiku’s reference to Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Benin, Tunji-Ojo said the prolonged closures at Banki and Amchidé on the Cameroon border were not linked to the 2019 trade policy. According to him, those borders were shut in 2014 due to Boko Haram and were reopened in 2019, with Fotokol and Gambaru following in 2021 after joint security operations by Nigeria, Cameroon, Niger and Chad.

“Folding this separate, security-driven history into one continuous 2019 shutdown misrepresents two distinct issues, trade regulation and counter-insurgency, as a single failure,” he stated.

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The minister acknowledged that not all northern crossings are fully unrestricted today, explaining that where banditry or insurgency persists, tighter controls remain a deliberate security decision.

“Modern border management is not a choice between total closure and unrestricted movement. It requires security, documentation, customs compliance and controlled trade facilitation together,” he said.

Tunji-Ojo urged political actors to avoid rewriting history for electoral gain and challenged Atiku to present a distinct border policy.

“Political competition should not become a competition to rewrite recent history. If he has a new border proposal, he should set it out and explain how it differs from the current approach, rather than treating separate trade, security and infrastructure issues as one and the same.”