By Edu Abade
The Seme-Krake Border Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has read the riot act to all illegal checkpoints mounted by sister agencies like the Nigeria Police, Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), the Nigeria Air Force and the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), among other agencies.
Newly deployed Customs Area Command (CAC) to Seme Border, Comptroller Adewale Adenuga, who pledged to tackle the menace caused by activities of the illegal check points on traders and travelers along the corridor, insisted that with the support of the Comptroller General of Customs (CGC) Wale Adeniyi and the Inspector-General of Police, (IGP) Kayode Egbetokun, those constituting bottlenecks on the route would soon be defeated
Adenuga who addressed stakeholders at an engagement forum organized for all sister agencies, community leaders and the media on Monday, October, 6, 2025, lamented that the illegal checkpoints have remained a constant embarrassment to the country’s image along the Lagos–Abidjan-Seme Border corridor.
He explained that the meetings which was aimed at making the Seme transit corridor effective and secure is following the policy thrust of the Comptroller General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi and promoting cooperation among security agencies, with special focus on trade facilitation anchored on respecting the rights and dignity of travelers and indigenes of the border communities.
“We want everyone to express their minds and tell ourselves the bitter truth. The more we facilitate legitimate trade, the better for our country. When trade thrives, crime reduces. That is the vision our Comptroller-General, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi has consistently championed, building a legacy of trade facilitation and a friendly environment for economic growth,” he said.
Adenuga, who reminded stakeholders including sister security agencies, traditional rulers, community leaders, trade groups and youth groups that the Seme Border plays a crucial role in West Africa’s regional trade, said legitimate trade could only flourish in an atmosphere of peace, security and orderliness.
He stressed the NCS’ commitment to the promotion of seamless movement of persons and goods across Seme and expressed the negative impact of the multiple checkpoints by various agencies, insisting that the menace has been responsible for multiple crises along the border area.
While appealing to agencies and border communities for their cooperation and compliance for a better relationship aimed at ensuring trade facilitation and inter-agency harmony, Adenuga described the numerous checkpoints between Badagry and Seme as impediment to trade and a major cause of delay for legitimate travelers, while urging to be guided by the laws and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) guiding their operations.
The stakeholders, including the Aholu of Kweme Kingdom, Oba Sejiro Olalekan James; Onibereko of Ibereko, Oba Israel Adewale Okoya; Col. S.B.Yahaya, Defence Attache to the Nigeria Embassy in Port Novo who represented the Nigerian Ambassador to Benin Republic; police, intelligence, military and paramilitary heads; members of the border communities and traders agreed to work together.
A highpoint of the meeting include resolutions and communiqué read by the Public Relations Officer (PRO), Isah Sulaiman, a Chief Superintendent of Customs (CSC) to reduce checkpoints along the roads leading in and out of the Seme Border as a way to facilitate trade, especially exports, encourage investments and promote the tourism potentials in the border area.
Stakeholders also agreed to always place national interest and unity above personal interest, while showing respect for the rights and dignity of all travelers and traders operating in the Seme border area.
The meeting also resolved to dismiss unauthorized persons also called camp boys at some checkpoints as they were accused of causing obstruction and harassment of travelers along the corridor.
In his concluding words, Comptroller Adenug pledged to draw the attention of the CGC Adeniyi and his management team to the plight of Seme inhabitants in the areas of completing the ongoing Customs Secondary School project and getting the area reconnected to electricity after an outage that has lasted seven years following the activities of vandals who vandalized cables and destroyed their power infrastructure, just as the heads of security agencies, traditional rulers and other stakeholders present agreed to sustain the tempo of the meeting going forward.
