Seme Summit Charts Path To End Border Checkpoint Abuse

…As Customs–Police Leaderships Reignite Synergy

BY EGUONO ODJEGBA

In a bold move to restore sanity along the Lagos-Abidjan ECOWAS corridor, the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) Monday, October 6, 2025convened a high-level stakeholders’ summit at the Seme Border, spotlighting the troubling proliferation of illegal security checkpoints and the urgent need for inter-agency collaboration.

Led by the Nigeria Customs Service, Seme Area Controller,  Comptroller Wale Adenuga, the summit brought together representatives from the Nigerian Military, Nigerian Police, Nigerian Immigration, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, Federal Road Safety Corps,  Nigerian Quarantine Service, traditional rulers, trade associations, and community leaders.

The goal of the two days summit, ending Tuesday, October 7, 2025 is to dismantle trade barriers, curb border-related crimes, and foster peaceful atmosphere and legitimate commerce.

Flagging off the meeting, Adenuga urged stakeholders to speak freely and frankly to the issue from the heart, he further urged community people and traders not to entertain any fear of official harassment, as representatives of every socio-economic segment and the four autonomous border communities of Badagry were in attendance.

The Nigerian Ambassador to Benin Republic, Ambassador Olukayode Olugbenga Aluko, represented by the Defence Attachee, Colonel S. Yahaya, pledged full implementation of the summit’s resolutions, reinforcing the diplomatic and operational synergy between Nigeria and its neighbors.

Group Captain H.I Medugu mni of the Nigerian Air Force who also spoke on behalf of the Nigerian Army and Navy present at the summit said the Nigerian Military sole business is to key into the vision of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and everything that will improve the Seme axis official security atmosphere as part of a critical sub regional and international border post and highway.

“There is no better time to hold this meeting than now, given the spate of complaints. We must key into the vision of Mr. President to make security worthwhile, and Seme Border is critical. Making things and our operations better and making sure we push further the agenda of Mr. President is a task that must be achieved.

“Its engagement like this that helps us to improve on our operations, please speak your mind and we will have our takeaway”, he urged participants.

While explaining the prevailing nitty-gritty of security personnel-road-users tango militating against the free movement of persons and goods, of discouragement in trading and engaging in tourism within the notorious axis owing to alleged official high handedness and excesses by the security apparatus, there was a consensus that the overwhelming presence and excesses of the Nigeria Police should be addressed. Trade groups and community dwellers were unanimous that the atmosphere is unduly militarized and made worse by personnel actions which they noted are embarrassing to say the least.

On enquiry about whether the CGC/IGP MoU to rid the axis of illegal police checkpoints failed, Comptroller Adenuga explained it didn’t fail and that there are ongoing efforts to rejig the agreement and make it work.

Adenuga minced no words, describing the excessive checkpoints as truly disgraceful and a stain on Nigeria’s image. He disclosed that the ComptrollerGeneral of Customs (CGC), Adewale Adeniyi is working closely with the Inspector General of Police (IGP) and the National Security Adviser (NSA) to rejig the existing MoU aimed at dismantling the maddening scene of illegal check police, especially the unwarranted numbers erected by the police against all measurement of decorum.

Equally stakeholders voiced open frustrations over the harassment of residents and traders by unauthorized personnel known as “camp boys” or “kelebe” in local parlance.

Hon. Prince Joseph Aedeoluwayemi Agoro, a community leader, spoke of the act of holding road users to ransom as personnel stops a vehicle and keep all others waiting endlessly, instead of pulling the particularly vehicle out of the road and letting others go their way. He condemned the practice and other similar overbearing acts, calling it an embarrassment and a source of fear and confusion for border dwellers.

Contributing, Oba Sejiro Ogungbe of Kweme Kingdom commended Customs for reducing violent clashes with smugglers, while urging all security apparatus operating within the axis to trim down and restrict themselves to their specific roles and to address the issue of trade facilitation and delays associated with travelers.

In his farther contribution, Group Captain Medugu mni who earlier acknowledged the summit as a timely intervention, however expressed misgivings over the failure of the concerned communities within his operational axis to relay to him some of the alleged actions being tabled, despite that his visit to the community leaders and leaving his telephone contact to bring him up to date with reports of official excesses, especially by his officers and men.

While speakers after speakers put forth their positions and grievances, the heads of the security also agencies reacted and put on the table rational defences for some of their perceived excesses.

To drum home his point, Adenuga wazed deliberate and emphatic: “After this meeting, it will not be business as usual. We will create an implementation committee on all that we have discussed.

“If you don’t have any business to do on that road, don’t come there. If you refuse to comply, you would be arrested”, he declared.

He disclosed that the use of camp boys has been abolished and any officer found violating this directive would face disciplinary action.

As the summit concluded, a renewed sense of purpose emerged—one rooted in transparency, cooperation, and a shared commitment to reclaim the corridor from corruption and restore its role as a gateway to regional prosperity.

Key summary of the positions and perspectives of key stakeholders is as follows:

*Need to dismantle the excessive and illegal checkpoints along the Seme-Badagry axis.

*Need to sanitize and or eliminate “camp boys”

*Continous efforts to improve on  trade facilitation and inter-agency synergy.

*Setting up of an implementation committee to enforce summit resolutions in collaboration with the CGC,  IGP and the NSA.

*Nigerian Police Force under scrutiny for its overwhelming presence on the axis.

*Need to have an efficient and effective regular security meetings and implementations of resolutions.

*Collective commitment by the leadership of all security agencies  within the axis to reduce checkpoints and uphold the CGC/IGP MoU; and to also eliminate the incidences of unauthorized road blocks by  unauthorized personnel.

*That only authorized personnel are allowed to operate along the corridor.

*Summit acknowledged complaints by border communities and other stakeholders.

*Summit described alleged harassment of residents and other road users as humiliating and unjust.

*Summit urged traditional rulers and border community leaders to prevail on their youths to conduct themselves responsibly and engage in legitimate businesses.

*Summit expressed readiness to support efforts to sanitize corridor.

*Stakeholders encouraged to adopt best practices from neighboring Benin Republic.

*Summit also called for immediate enforcement of reforms and accountability.

The above collective stance reflects a rare moment of unity among agencies and communities, all rallying behind the CGC’s vision to restore order, dignity, and economic vitality to the Lagos-Abidjan corridor.