President MUHAMMADU BUHARI has said that the partial closure of Nigeria’s border with the Benin Republic was due to the massive smuggling activities, especially of rice, taking place on that corridor.

The restriction at Seme followed the joint border security exercise ordered by the government and aimed at securing Nigeria’s land and maritime borders.

The exercise, code-named, ‘Ex-Swift Response’, was being jointly conducted by the customs, immigration, police and military personnel and coordinated by the Office of the National Security Adviser.

President MUHAMMADU BUHARIgave the reason during an audience granted his Beninois counterpart, PATRICE TALON, on the margins of the Seventh Tokyo International Conference for African Development, in Yokohama, Japan.

Minister of Foreign Affairs, GEOFFERY ONYEAMA speaks more on the outcome of the meeting.