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LAGOS, Sunday (Reuters) Oil-rich Nigeria closed the border with its western neighbour Benin over concerns about increased cross-border crime such as smuggling and people trafficking, the Nigerian government said.

Nigeria said it had been forced to close the frontier because no progress had been made in fighting crime since a July 11 meeting between President Olusegun Obasanjo and Benin's President Mathieu Kerekou.

"This decision, regrettably, has been taken in order to drive home Nigeria's concern for the incessant cross-border crimes such as armed robberies, smuggling and human trafficking," it said in a statement.

Nigerian presidency spokeswoman Oluremi Oyo told Reuters the border would be reopened only when Nigeria was satisfied by anti-crime measures taken by Benin's government.

"All of these violations have been going on for a very long time," she said. "Nigeria has discovered that the Benin border has been the main route for smuggling arms and ammunition.

Benin Republic is a popular route for the trafficking of young Nigerian girls to Europe for prostitution."

A source in Benin's government confirmed the border had been closed, but expressed surprise at the action.

"It's confirmed: they've closed all their borders with Benin.

We are trying to get in touch with the (Nigerian) authorities," the source said.

The Nigerian statement said Benin had been warned the border would be closed if it did not crack down on crime.

"Mr President clearly and unequivocally requested that President Kerekou should take urgent and decisive steps to arrest the crimes, failing which Nigeria would be obliged to close the border between the two countries," said the statement.

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