Punchng reported that residents of border communities in Ogun State have appealed to the Federal Government to review its order on land border closure and stoppage of fuel supply to the communities that fall within 20 kilometers from the border. They said the policy was killing them.
They spoke at a press briefing, tagged, ‘In the eye of the storm’, which was organised by the Ogun West Consultative Forum.
The press briefing which was held in Abeokuta was addressed by a Professor of African comparative history and border land studies, Prof Anthony Asiwaju.
Leaders of the affected border communities, who were at the press conference included two professors and six traditional rulers from the three local government areas of Ipokia ; Imeko-Afon and Yewa South.
They specifically pleaded with President Muhammadu Buhari to rescind his order banning supply of petrol to communities within the radius of 20 kilometers to the border, saying, the policy had made life unbearable for them.
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The people lamented that men of the Nigeria Customs Service had made life more miserable for them under the guise of upholding the presidential ban order on petroleum products.
The spokesperson for the communities said the affected persons had nothing to do with economic sabotage popularly referred to as smuggling.
He said the presidential order had criminalised the entire peace-loving people of Yewa – Aworiland of Ogun West.
The professor alleged that security operatives saddled with the responsibility of enforcing the presidential order on the supply of petrol had become overzealous and resorted to killing innocent people under the guise of chasing petroleum smugglers.
He added,
“Contrary to the clear provision in the Nigerian constitution for citizens’ right to freedom of movement and from discrimination, border closure is a blatant discrimination against law-abiding Nigerians whose homes and residence are located in the affected localities. It renders such areas vulnerable and deprived. It cannot be that living in a border area is a crime.”
