Obasanjo, Kerekou to meet over closed borders

Nigeria's President Olusegun Obasanjo and his Benin counterpart President Matthieu Kerekou have scheduled a meeting to resolve differences over Nigeria's decision to close their common border, Nigerian officials said on Wednesday. The meeting will be held on Thursday in Nigeria's southwest town of Badagry, about 20 km to the Seme Point, the most popular border crossing along the 773km-long frontier between both countries, the officials said. "Badagry was chosen because it is nearest to the scene of the problem," an official in Nigeria's presidency told IRIN. Nigeria, Africa's most populous country with 120 million people, closed its border with Benin on Saturday citing escalating cross-border crime including armed robbery, massive smuggling of goods and human trafficking which it said its smaller neighbour was not doing enough to curb. A foreign ministry statement said the border would be reopened upon assurances from Benin that action would be taken against illegal cross-border activities on its side. A Benin delegation, led by its Minister of Security Bruno Amoussou, met Nigeria's Minister of Internal Affairs Iyorchia Ayu in Abuja on Tuesday over the border problem, presidential spokeswoman Remi Oyo told reporters. "They brought a message that they want a quick resolution of the crisis and would be happy for Nigeria's response in the shortest possible time," she said. Obasanjo, she said, stressed his government will no longer tolerate "trans-border crime, maiming and killing of Nigerians… stealing our cars". Oyo said more than 2,000 luxury cars were stolen from oil-rich Nigeria between 2001 and 2002 and taken across the border to Benin. She added that out of 300 cars taken through the same border in the first half of this year, 16 were traced to a suspect but said the authorities in Benin apparently did not act on the information provided them. Nigeria had in the past frequently complained that fuel and other refined petroleum products were being smuggled into Benin, creating artificial domestic scarcities. The authorities say they are also worried smuggling of imported goods from Benin into Nigeria was encouraging dumping and undermining measures to protect local industries. The border closing has affected Benin's economy, with a price hike of fuel and commercial goods from Nigeria. Traders have also complained goods have been held at the border until the border opens.