Joyce Mmereole Okoli
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Seme Command, has launched an all-out offensive against illegal checkpoints and extortion syndicates operating along the Lagos–Abidjan ECOWAS trade corridor, vowing to restore order and protect Nigeria’s reputation in regional commerce.
Addressing stakeholders at a high-level meeting on Monday, the Customs Area Controller, Comptroller Wale Adenuga, described the proliferation of unauthorized checkpoints as a “national embarrassment” that has crippled trade and undermined Nigeria’s competitiveness.
“We are going to work, and we will make the Seme corridor road a place of sanity,”
Adenuga declared, lamenting how multiple illegal roadblocks have turned the once-thriving trade route into a nightmare for cross-border traders and transporters.
The Customs chief pledged decisive action, promising to mobilize relevant security agencies and border communities to eliminate illegal checkpoints and restore transparency to border operations.
Adenuga issued a stern warning to security operatives operating outside approved points to “steer clear of the corridor,” stressing that the Service had banned the activities of ‘camp boys, individuals allegedly hired by security personnel to extort money from travelers and truck drivers.
“The more we facilitate legitimate trade, the better for our country. When trade thrives, crime reduces. That is the vision of our Comptroller-General, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, building a legacy of trade facilitation and a conducive environment for economic growth,”he added.
The Customs boss also drew attention to the contrast between Nigerian and Beninese border practices, noting that Benin Republic maintains a more coordinated and transparent system for vehicle inspection and goods clearance.
At the meeting, Hon. Joseph Agoro, a grassroots politician, condemned the activities of the unofficial “camp boys,” accusing them of terrorizing residents and travelers. He urged Customs to act decisively to restore public confidence.
Representing Nigeria’s Ambassador to Benin Republic, Ambassador Olukayode Aluko, the Defense Attaché, Colonel S. Yahaya, assured participants that the summit’s resolutions would be swiftly implemented.
The gathering featured key stakeholders including representatives of the Nigerian Army, NDLEA, NSCDC, NIS, freight forwarders, and traditional rulers, all pledging to support Customs’ reform drive.
With Seme Command now intensifying its cleanup of the corridor, expectations are high that the long-troubled Lagos–Abidjan route could soon regain its status as a model for efficient trade facilitation and regional cooperation.