President, Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday, January 23, returned from London where he participated in the inaugural UK-Africa investment summit.
President Buhari on Friday, January 17, departed Nigeria for London to participate in the inaugural UK-Africa investment summit.
Governors Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia and Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe were on the entourage of the president.
Secretary to the Government of the Federation; Boss Mustapha, IGP Mohammed Adamu and FCT minister, Mohammed Bello, were at the presidential wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport to bid the president goodbye.
Earlier, The Herald reported that President Muhammadu Buhari disclosed that closed borders have not been reopened because criminals used them to undermine the nation’s security.
The Herald gathered that President Buhari said his administration took the measure to stop the thriving proliferation of arms, ammunition and hard drugs across the borders.
The President spoke during a bilateral discussion with his Ghanaian counterpart, Nana Akufo-Addo, on the side-lines of the UK-Africa Investment Summit 2020 in London.
A statement by his Special Adviser (SA) on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, quoted the president as saying he could not allow the nation’s youths being destroyed by drugs and compromised security caused by unbridled influx of small arms.
“When most of the vehicles carrying rice and other food items through our land borders are intercepted, you find cheap hard drugs and small arms under the food items. This has terrible consequences for any country,” President Buhari said.
He regretted that the partial border closure was having “negative economic impact on our neighbours,” but added that “we cannot leave our country, particularly the youth, endangered”.