By Modinat Abiodun
The Nigeria Customs Service has blasted the incessant, illegal security checkpoints strangling trade on the crucial Lagos–Abidjan ECOWAS Corridor, branding them a major threat to regional commerce and national image.
In his remarks, the Customs Area Controller, CAC, SEME Customs Area Command, Comptroller Wale Adenuga, while speaking during a high-stakes stakeholders’ summit in Lagos, exposing how these rogue roadblocks have turned a key trade artery into a nightmare for traders and travelers alike.
Comptroller Adenuga, posited, “The Benin Republic side enjoys smoother border controls, Nigeria’s side is crippled by rampant extortion, harassment, and corruption fueled by unauthorized “camp boys” posing as officials at dozens of disruptive checkpoints.”
In addition, “Residents and traders are forced to endure humiliating stops, questioning, and delays that stunt economic growth and tarnish Nigeria’s reputation.”
The Customs boss demanded urgent action, pledging to rally security agencies, traditional rulers, and border communities in a united crackdown to slash checkpoint numbers and restore sanity to the route.
The summit saw top officials including representatives from the Nigerian Army, NDLEA, Police, and even the Nigerian
Representative of the Nigerian Air Force, Badagry, Capt. H.I Medugu thanked Comptroller Adenuga for initiating the stakeholders meeting due to several complaints along the border route.
The Nigerian Ambassador to Benin Republic, Ambassador Olukayode Olugbenga Aluko (represented by the Defense Attache, Colonel S. Yahaya), assured that all the takeaways at the meeting would be fully implemented.
In his remarks, the Oba of Kweme Kingdom in Badagry, Oba Sejiro Ogungbe expressed appreciation to the Customs for reducing frequent clashes between Customs and smugglers in communities, which he said, often leads to avoidable deaths.
However, frustrations boiled over as Hon. Joseph Agoro, a local politician, blasted the presence of unofficial camp boys hired by security forces, accusing them of terrorizing residents and travelers and calling for Customs to intervene immediately.
With millions of traders’ livelihoods hanging in the balance, the fight to reclaim the Lagos–Abidjan corridor from rogue checkpoints is now a burning national crisis demanding swift and transparent action from all stakeholders. The world watches as Nigeria vows to clean up one of West Africa’s most vital trade lifelines—before it collapses under the weight of illegal roadblocks and abuse.
