Agony on the border: How traders are coping at Illela international cattle market

During a recent visit to Illela border town market, OLAKUNLE MARUF reports that due to border closure by the Nigerian authorities, the international cattle market, which used to be a hive commercial activities, is now a ghost town, even as traders now find it difficult to meet up with their responsibilities due to poor sales.

ILLELA International cattle market is located at Illela, a border town about 105 kilometers from Sokoto, capital city of Sokoto State. Due to its strategic location it shares borders with Niger Republic and also draws people from neighbouring countries, including other parts of Nigeria.

On a good day, the market is always filled to the brim, with traders and buyers seeking the best bargain for cows, goats, rams, donkeys and grains. Though buying and selling take place on a daily basis, Sunday is the main market day that draws the largest number of people.

But that was then. That was before Nigeria decided to shut its borders to curb cases of incessant smuggling of goods into the country, especially foodstuffs that could be produced in the country. Ironically, the government is not in a hurry to rescind that decision which means that whatever the situation is now may continue for some time to come.

When Arewa Live visited the border town and the cattle market recently, it was a shadow of its former self. There were only a few people where large crowds used to gather. There were also few animals and customers, while traders decided to take a nap due to dull market activities.

One of the market leaders, Muhammad Abdullahi, who spoke with Arewa Live, however, attributed the current situation of things in the market to the closing of the Illela border by the federal government. Abdullahi disclosed that things have turned round negatively such that traders now go a-borrowing to survive and take care of their families.

According to Abdullahi, “You will be amazed by what we are passing through here in this market. I don’t know if you have ever been here before the recent bad decision of closing of borders without considering the consequences.

“Before now, there is hardly enough space here when things were okay. This market is so important as it shares border with a neighbouring country which makes it an international market.

“We have people bringing animals from Niger Republic to sell here while some others also come from same country to buy here. I can tell you that there is no part of the country that people don’t come from to buy goods.

“It is unfortunate that the market has been reduced to this state due to this anti-people policy of this administration. Even those that usually come from within the country such as Lagos, Ibadan, Onitsha, Borno, Gombe and several others have stopped coming.

Trump phones, congratulates Argentine President-elect Fernandez

“Though no reason was given for their failure to come again but those of us here know that it is due to the fact that only few cattle and animals are available. The most annoying part of it now is the fact that sales are so bad that on most market days we hardly sell anything here.

“This has made some of us to stop coming to the market as we, most times, borrow money for transportation when going back home. Is the government punishing us for living close to the border?

“Here in Illela, our neighbours are Konni people in Nigeria Republic and when the government closes the border because of rice, what happens to those coming to sell or buy animals? Is the Nigeria Customs or government ready to buy all the animals or animal feeds from our farmers? he asked.

Abdulahi therefore appealed to the Federal Government to re-examine the issue of border closure holistically and do the needful in the interest of ordinary people saying the cattle traders have no other business than selling cattle.

Also speaking with Arewa Live, Abdullahi Modi, from Niger State, who was in the market to buy cattle, described the situation of the market as terrible and discouraging noting that the decision to close the border was done in bad faith.

“I have been patronising this market for over fifteen years now, coming here to buy cows and rams from my place in Niger State.

“I have never witnessed what we are seeing here now. Imagine a place where you were never allowed to come in with even a motorcycle. You can see for yourself that we brought in trucks to load the few cattle we have managed to buy here today.

“The market is so empty that I have begun to have a rethink on what I should be doing pending the time the border issue will be resolved. I can’t continue coming here for business and end up accumulating debt due to government’s bad policy.

“I don’t even know how to sell the few cows I bought because I bought them at expensive prices.

Believe me, if I have another business I can divert to now I will be glad to do so pending the time all this problems will end,” he lamented.

Modi, who said he is a graduate who sponsored himself through university education, said it was unfortunate that government was trying to frustrate his efforts to move ahead in life having invested lots of money into the cattle business.

“This is frustration of the highest order and I urge government to sit down and reassess the situation for the sake of some of us who had vowed never to be involved in criminal activities.

“This is what I use to take care of my family and if government sends us out of business now, what happens to our responsibilities to members of our families.

“We are appealing to them to do the needful and help us out of this present situation before it is too late,” he pleaded.

The chairman of Illela international cattle market, Bashar Zubairu, who also spoke with Arewa Live, lamented the current situation of the market. He appealed to government to reverse the border closure decision.

“As you can see now, business activities have now reduced to only those people from within the town which makes it very bad.

“We are pleading with government to help us. The closure of the border is affecting our activities as most of our customers are from neighbouring countries. We export and import goods and services but the situation is so bad now that we dare not go close to the border with a single ram or cow.

“The immigration officers and other security agencies will not even allow one to go out or come in with anything, unlike before the closure of the border. Before now, we made series of transactions where people from Niger Republic come in to buy different kinds of goods like livestock, onions and others.

“Business is so bad now that we hardly get up to 30 percent of our usual number of customers. Those that sold hundreds of cows on market days before hardly sell up to ten these days while majority of people go back home empty-handed.

“We also have some of our youths who make their daily bread through the commercial activities at the border, but they are currently finding it difficult to take care of themselves, not to talk of their family members.

“We are appealing to the Federal Government to help us and reopen this border so that we can resume our business transaction and discourage our youths from going into crime.

“It is a known fact that this Sokoto border is the most peaceful one in the country. We are hungry, they should help us.

“As the chairman of this market, I swear that since I came in here this morning up till this evening, I have not made a single sale from my livestock,” he lamented.

As business activities at Illela continues to drop both residents and business men and women who used to throng the international market can only hope and pray for the god times to return, otherwise, a serious economic depression is in the offing.

Nigerian Tribune