The Presidency has said that the Federal Government will consider shutting the four reopened borders in Nigeria if there is any trouble.

The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, made this known on Tuesday, December 21, while speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme.

Shehu explained that the FG is monitoring the activities of the borders which were reopened last week.

Recall that President Muhammadu Buhari had on December 16 ordered the immediate re-opening of the four land borders, including the Seme Border in Lagos State, Illela Border in Sokoto State, Maigatari Border in Jigawa State, and Mfun Border in Cross River State.

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The Federal Government had in August 2019 closed its land borders to curtail illegal importation of drugs, small arms and agricultural products into the country from neighbouring West African nations.

The Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed, who announced the reopening of the four borders, said other borders will be reopened hopefully before December 31, 2020.

Speaking on Tuesday, the President's spokesman lamented that Nigeria’s neighbours had not cooperated with the country to curtail the influx of bandits and small weapons which he claimed are fueling the insecurity in Nigeria.

He said, “This is why the president considered the closure of the land borders for much of this time until they were reopened a week or so ago.

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“This country has been talking to our neighbours, asking them that they cooperate with us in order to stop this influx of bandits, weapons, drugs and trafficking of Nigerian women but the cooperation has not measured up to the expectation of the president.

“This is why he was forced by the necessity of the situation to shut down the borders.

“Now, we are reopening in the hope that the agreement we struck with them, that they will work hand in hand with our own security agencies, with our own customs, on a trial basis, because not all entry points have been reopened. It will be tried, if it works well, then others will be reopened. If there is trouble, then the government may have a rethink.”

“It is the technical committee that will advise the government on how well things are working now that we have reopened four points out of the numerous that we have,” Shehu added.