Comptroller Wale Adenuga, Comptroller of the Seme border area command, who disclosed this at the weekend explained that the approved checkpoints are located at Gbaji and Agbara along the Badagry-Seme road.
The Comptroller convened a major stakeholders’ forum which brought together security agencies, traditional rulers, and customs officials from the Benin Republic to address trade bottlenecks and harmonize border operations.
At the meeting he emphasized that any other Customs checkpoint outside of these two is considered illegal and should be exposed.
The Comptroller also warned that the Seme Command of the Nigeria Customs Service will no longer tolerate the proliferation of illegal checkpoints, which he said, have been a source of frustration for motorists and traders.
According to him, the development is expected to ease the movement of goods and people along the Mile 2-Seme route, which is a critical trade corridor between Nigeria and the Republic of Benin.
“The approved checkpoints by the Federal Government, which Customs is working in tandem with, are Gbaji and Agbara. That’s for Customs. Any other Customs checkpoint you see is illegal. I can speak for the Seme Command: Gbaji and Agbara are the legitimate, approved checkpoints. Patrols are simply for intervention and reinforcement.
“We have a patrol base; some officers are operating there and can easily be called for reinforcement. We have placed some teams in Gbaji and Agbara to complement the permanent officers there. They are not permanent at Agbara, but they are there for reinforcement. You will never see Seme checkpoints in Mowo or elsewhere on the roads. If you see them, expose them. The media should help us. Do your due diligence; you are the people who can help us build this country.
“We have started synergy and collaboration among all the agencies—both the military, the police, and others. In fact, yesterday, I came in around 3:00 a. m to look at what is happening on the road. The checkpoints are reducing, but you see, they cannot be totally eliminated at once,” he added.
