Prices of food items have gone up in some Nigerian border communities owing to the border closure enforced against Niger Republic following the country’s junta’s refusal to restore ousted President Muhammed Bazoum to office.

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) had slammed sanctions on Niger and lately ordered its standby force to restore constitutional order in the West African nation; a move that had been widely rejected, especially in Nigeria.

As the impasse lingers, residents of border communities in some states in northern Nigeria told Daily Trust on Sunday that the situation had resulted in high cost of food items.

A resident of Illela Local Government Area of Sokoto State, which shares border with Konni Local Government Area in Taohoua State of Niger Republic, said most of the food items there were from Niger.

“There’s scarcity of perishable items in our community because of the border closure,” he said.

According to him, the price of a bag of foreign rice has risen from N30,000 to N50,000.

“Prices of other food items also skyrocketed. For instance, a bag of millet is over N60,000,” he added.

Residents of Jibia in Katsina State, under the aegis of the Jibia Peoples Forum, had written a letter of complaint to the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service, accusing security officers of charging exorbitant amounts on truck conveying food items.

In the letter signed by its secretary, Bashir Lawal Jibia, the forum stated, “On behalf of the people, traders, merchants and neighbours, we hereby forward our grievance against Nigeria Customs and other security agencies operating along the Katsina-Jibia highway concerning their attitude towards free-flow of essential commodities into Jibia Local Government.

“The items include floor, cement, agricultural products, both perishable and non-perishable, house furniture, building materials, all made in Nigeria, are not allowed to pass freely into Jibia market without clearance from the Nigeria Customs house upon payment of exorbitant charges, ranging from N70,000 to N 120,000 per truck without official receipt.”

A resident of Jibia, Nasiru Abdulkadir, expressed fear that should war break out between Nigeria and Niger, farmers in the area would not be able to access their farms anymore.

A resident of Kwangwalam, Hamza Muhammad said, “After the coup in Niger, only Civil Defence officers were deployed to Kwangwalam border, but the situation is very tough now as people can hardly afford food items due to their high cost.”

Nigerian soldiers and civilian JTF stationed at Malamfatori, a neighbouring town to Niger, complained of acute shortage of food and other essential items.

One of the soldiers told our correspondent that: “There hasn’t been any food supply to us since the last one we received from Maiduguri over a week ago. Now, Nigeriens soldiers have completely prevented us from crossing to buy food in Bosso.

“Before the last ECOWAS meeting, we had an understanding that two soldiers or CJTF would drop their guns, wear mufti and cross to Bosso to buy food items. But now, it is a total shutdown.”

He said people in border communities lived in fear as business activities had stopped.

“Even the man who was supplying food to us before this coup said they couldn’t get supply through the Cotonou border despite high demand and shortage of the food items in the country,” he added.

Also, residents at the border communities of Dikorari, Jaramidi, Kaska, Tulo-tulowa Dumar, Gidigir, Mallawa, Ngamdu and Funai decried shortage of food and high cost of items.

Mallam Sile Mella, a resident of Dikorari said, “Most of us combining business with farming have lost hope this season. We sold our livestock and reinvested in our farms. Now, we lost everything and we don’t have food to eat.”

A resident of Jarimidi village, a border town in Yunusari Local Government Area of Yobe State, Audu Mai Aazara, lamented, “We are in serious food shortage, and our morale to farm was dampened by the dry spell we are witnessing.

“Now, many of us that have farmlands in Niger had to abandon them because Nigerien soldiers don’t allow us into their country,” he said.