Nigeria re-opens border with Republic of Benin 15 Aug Lagos Vanguard (Internet Version-WWW) in English 15 Aug 03 Friday, August 15, 2003 Journal Code: 6734 Language: ENGLISH Record Type: FULLTEXT Document Type: Daily Report; News Word Count: 1,724 SEME - NIGERIA agreed last night to re-open its borders with the Republic of Benin today following a meeting in Badagry between President Olusegun Obasanjo and President Matthieu Kerekou. The borders were scheduled for re-opening at six o'clock this morning, six days after they were shut by Nigeria which accused Benin of allowing border crime to flourish unchecked . However, the re-opening was not without tough words from President Obasanjo to the Beninoise authorities who, he said, had done little or nothing to discourage cross-border banditry, in Nigeria, by people based in Benin. Said he: "Your excellency, Mr President, one of the proofs that I find very painful is a man called Amani Tijani who claims to be a citizen of Niger Republic and who resides in Republic of Benin, who is a receiver of most of the cars stolen in Nigeria, who deals in arms both to Nigeria and from Nigeria, and who even deals in human trafficking. He is a notorious criminal. Now, you give him to us or you liquidate him. I believe we will start to have peace. When I sent our own people across, they found more than 30 cars in his compound. Your judiciary did not play the game the way it should be played. We have now been told he is no longer in Republic of Benin. Your excellency, we cannot accept this. We cannot accept this kind of situation. It has to stop and it will stop. "The proof of the fact that we have a problem to solve is that the Inspector-General of Police has reported that since the closure of the border, there has not been a case of car snatching in Lagos State, in Ogun State, in Oyo State, in Kwara which is an indication that most of these car snatchers come from across the border and today we will put an end to it. It is unfortunate that the resort to closure of the borders had to show to us clearly that we are right when we say that the perpetrators of these activities seek refuge, seek haven in Republic of Benin and we must work together to make sure that no criminal, either in Nigeria or in Republic of Benin, can seek haven or a place of refuge in our two countries. "As I have said to you on many occasions before, I am a believer, a very strong believer in co-operation and integration in Africa. And between us, I have proved that both in words and practice. I also believe and I have told you this, and this is not the first time we will do that, that when there is any problem between our two countries, because we share borders, we are friends, we should look for the most amicable way of resolving such problems. I do not believe that there is any human problem that cannot be resolved through dialogue, through give and take, through explanations and through genuine commitment to see such human problems solved. "I want to thank you for sending your delegation to Abuja. And I want to express on behalf of the Nigerian government our appreciation for the work which the two delegations, the Nigerian delegation and the Beninoise delegation, the work they have done in the last three days. I believe we are here to put the icing on the cake they have baked and I hope that the level of seriousness they have put to their work will make us not to waste much time on putting the icing on the cake so that we can eat and have a sumptuous lunch before we go back to our respective homes. "The most important point is that everybody concerned, particularly the criminals in our midst who are carrying out the nefarious deadly activities of smuggling, armed robbery and human trafficking, must know after this meeting that their end has come. If we can achieve that, then we have achieved the best for our two countries and for West Africa." President Kerekou, in his response, denied knowledge of the existence of Amani Tijani until the borders were shut by the Nigerian government. He, however, promised to prosecute Amani if caught as a means of ending the standoff between the two nations. His words: "If the security forces of Benin catch him, I will consult the president of Nigeria by telling him that we have caught him. Do we bring him to Abuja or we lock him up in our country? If he tells me to lock him up, we are not going to lock him up. We will rather execute him because we do not have the means of keeping him. "The president of Nigeria did me a favour by closing the borders because he knew more about that criminal than myself. I was not even aware of the existence of that man until after the closure of the borders that I heard that there was a certain Nigerien citizen, a criminal, who was in prison and because of the socalled democracy which we have and separation of powers, this man was released and he probably got wind of it and I became angry that such a criminal could be released. When I heard of it, I told the solicitor-general to go and get him dead or alive and take him back into custody. I often say that I would prefer to abandon ECOWAS and unite with Nigeria because when somebody is big and strong you have to respect him. ECOWAS without Nigeria is zero. I have said it. "Integration is what you (Obasanjo) have always believed in, integration is what you have always practised. After all, who built the road all the way from Lagos to Cotonou? Was it not you? Who built the cement factory in Onigbolo? Was it not you?..." Before the meeting, both presidents met and embraced at the closed Seme border. In a communique at the end of the meeting, the two leaders agreed as follows: That both countries put in place immediate modalities for giving effect to the following: - Establishment of a joint inspection task force comprising the customs of both countries for the purposes of inspection and excursion of transit goods at the point of entry to their destination, in accordance with the international convention on transit goods; - Preparing and putting into force the necessary bilateral agreements on smuggling; - Upholding the provisions of the ECOWAS protocol on trade liberalisation scheme; - Ensuring the implementation of international conventions on transit goods; - Periodic exchange of the list of prohibited goods in both countries. - Ensuring regular consultations for the purposes of removing hindrances to free flow of bilateral transactions between both countries; - Ensuring that the joint task force makes a monthly report on its joint activities to the appropriate authorities in both countries. Cross Border Crimes That both countries immediately: - Put in place a Joint border patrol team comprising the Police, Customs, Immigration and State Security Services of both countries for the purpose of strengthening security at the borders; - The joint border patrol team has power to arrest and hand over any person arrested to the appropriate authorities in both countries for investigation and prosecution; - Hand over criminals identified as taking refuge in either country to the appropriate authorities in the requesting country for necessary interrogation and prosecution. Consequently, the criminals shall be returned immediately to the appropriate authorities in the requesting country. - Assist and facilitate the investigation and apprehension of criminals; - Return all identified stolen goods particularly vehicles, as and when so identified and accordingly, the goods identified on the list herewith attached in Annexure II as well as those stolen goods as shall be identified in future shall be returned immediately to the appropriate authorities in the country from which the goods are stolen; - Take appropriate measures to give effect to data on intelligence gathering, exchange of information, and co-operation between law enforcement agencies in order to prevent border crimes; and - Provide equipment and harmonise logistics for effective border patrol. Human Trafficking That both countries: - Work out effective co-operation on human trafficking; - Identify, investigate and prosecute agents and traffickers; - Protect victims of human trafficking and return them promptly to their countries of origin. Drug Trafficking That both countries: - Co-operate and sign specific agreements on trafficking in illicit and fake drugs; - Take steps to confiscate illicit and adulterated or fake drugs trafficked across their borders and apprehend and prosecute offenders using the law enforcement agencies of both countries. Harassment of officials and citizens That both countries shall take necessary action to stop the incessant harassment and molestation of officials and citizens of one country by the law enforcement officers of the other. Border management That both countries: (a) immediately (conclude), sign and implement the agreement on trans-border cooperation (b) take steps to conclude, sign and implement the trade on the two building at Seme/Krake the joint management of the two buildings at Seme/Krake, including the demarcation of each others' operational zone. Legitimate trade That both countries: (a) accord free movement to goods manufactured in their respective countries. (b) meet as soon as possible to work out the modalities through the Ministers of Trade of both countries at the realisation of this objective. Illegal immigrants That both countries: (a) encourage their citizens to refrain from crossing borders to participate in internal activities of the other country; (b) enlighten their citizens living in border areas to desist from criminal activities and stop aiding and abetting cross-border crimes. Extradition That both countries reaffirm their commitment to the quadripartite extradition treaty between Nigeria, Benin, Ghana and Togo and express the urgent need for the treaty to regain the momentum lost as a result of years of inactivity or non-implementation, including a commitment by both countries to extradite any person accused of participation in any of the crimes or offences provided in the treaty.