Following the fears of spread of the
Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) through international air and seaports, including
border land outposts of Nigerian Immigration Serives (NIS) in the Northeast
sub-region of country, Cameroon has closed its borders with Nigeria and
suspended all flights to and from Nigeria.
Cameroon, according to the NIS, has
a border boundary of over 2, 000 kilometres in Borno, Adamawa, Taraba and Cross
Rivers states in the South-South sub-region of Nigeria.
Speaking yesterday on a special
programme of the Hausa Service of British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)
monitored in Maiduguri, the spokesman of Cameroon Foreign Affairs, Chiroumma
Boukkari said the decision to close the borders with Nigeria has become
inevitable, because of the fears of the ebola that spreads like wild fire in
the West African sub-region.
“This decision on border closure and
suspension of all flights to and from Nigeria was to protect the lives of
Cameroonian citizens living within and outside from contracting ebola, as
Nigeria, our main trading partner in Africa had been facing since July 20, 2014
when Patrick Sawyer sneaked into the country aboard a flight with the deadly
virus.”
He however, noted that the border
closure and temporary suspension of flights to and from Nigeria will be for a
minimum of one month. He also advised Cameroonian citizens to take the closure
of borders and flight suspension seriously in protecting their lives and
property.
“The border closures with our main
trading partner will be lifted, as soon as Nigeria contains the spread of the
deadly viral disease. We also urge all border security agencies of the two
countries to be vigilant by complying with this border closures made on Saturday by the foreign office here in Ngaudore,” said Boukkari.
The affected border outposts in
Borno state include, Kirawa, Duji, Mallam Fatori, Gamboru, Banki,
Damba/Masara, Baga, Danbaure, Sigal and Jilbe, 145 kilometres northeast of
Maiduguri, the state capital.
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