Lawal Ibrahim
5 November 2009
Katsina — A regime of sanctions against this country's northern neighbor, Niger Republic, went into effect early this week with men of the Nigeria Customs Service preventing the export of fuel, grain and other essential commodities across the Jibia border in Katsina State, Daily Trust learnt in Katsina.
Although the Federal Government made no announcement about imposing sanctions on Niger Republic, the action is coming hot on the heels of that country's suspension from the Economic Community of West African States [ECOWAS] over President Mamadou Tandja's plan to extend his rule beyond the constitutionally stipulated two terms.
Traders at the border said the first signs of trouble were noticed earlier this week when the cross-border trader Alhaji Dahiru Mangal, who dominates business on the Jibia border, was seen withdrawing his trucks and trailers by the dozen.
Customs agents were seen searching every vehicle crossing the Jibia border towards the Nigerien city of Maradi, and they were confiscating everything from fuel and bread to soap and sugar. The border was not closed though, as vehicles were allowed to drive through.
Public relations officer (PRO) of the Nigeria Customs Service, Katsina and Kaduna State commands Malam Auwalu Mohammed Giyade confirmed to our reporter the closure of the Jibia border to export of food and fuel products, saying the service was directed to enforce the order. He said already, NCS has increased surveillance along the borders and has formed a monitoring team to ensure compliance. Not even sugarcane would be allowed to go into or come out of Niger Republic, he said.
Meanwhile, our reporter learnt in Katsina that the sanctions regime has already generated an influx people from Niger Republic into Nigeria. At the Jibia border yesterday, Nigeriens were seen trooping into Nigeria in their hundreds through various routes on the porous border.
Mr. Issa Momoudou, a native of Maradi in Niger Republic, told Daily Trust that some of his friends and himself were forced to leave their families at home because the loading business they do at Dan-Issa no longer thrives as a result of the sanctions.
He said they were headed for Kofar Guga market area of Katsina metropolis and that from there, they will move to other parts of Nigeria in search of what they can do to feed their families back home.
At the Kofar Guga market, several of the Nigerien nationals who are mostly petty traders and menial labourers told our reporter that they had been thrown out of work by the collapse of the loading business of goods headed for their country.
Salisu Keegan, a popular businessman who deals in rice, said before the latest turn of events, they used to unload at least 30 truck-loads of rice daily from Niger and had over two hundred people working with them, but the business has halted overnight and all the trucks have been parked.
Mallam Maigona and Ado Inji both called on the government to assist the over five hundred people at Kofar Guga market alone whom they said are affected by the new sanctions regime. They however blamed President Tanja Mahmoudou for not complying with ECOWAS directives.
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