Minister of Interior Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo has challenged former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s promise to reopen Nigeria’s land borders if elected president in 2027, insisting that Nigeria’s borders are already open.

Tunji-Ojo, who supervises the Nigeria Immigration Service, said it was therefore inaccurate to describe the borders as closed or promise to “reopen” them.

He explained that Seme, Illela, Maigatari and Mfum were reopened on December 16, 2020, while Idiroko and Ikom were reopened for goods and services on April 20, 2022. He added that Kamba and Tsamiya in Kebbi State were reopened under the current administration in February 2026, linking Nigeria with Niger Republic and Benin Republic.

Addressing Atiku’s reference to Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Benin Republic, the minister said the prolonged closure of the Banki and Amchidé crossings on the Cameroon border was driven by security concerns dating back to 2014, when Boko Haram insurgency forced their closure.

According to him, those crossings were reopened in 2019, while Fotokol and Gambaru followed in 2021 after joint military and stabilisation efforts by Nigeria, Cameroon, Niger and Chad.

Tunji-Ojo argued that presenting the different border closures as one continuous shutdown since 2019 “misrepresents two distinct issues, trade regulation and counter-insurgency, as a single failure.”

He acknowledged that some northern crossings remain subject to tighter controls because of ongoing banditry and residual insurgent threats, stressing that such restrictions are deliberate security decisions rather than neglect.

The minister said modern border management cannot be reduced to a choice between completely shutting borders and allowing unrestricted movement, but must balance security, documentation, customs compliance and controlled trade facilitation.

He urged Atiku to present details of his proposed border policy and explain how it would differ from the current approach, rather than combining separate trade, security and infrastructure issues.

“Political competition should not become a competition to rewrite recent history.”