IGP squad arrested Police, Immigration officers over illegal checkpoint

Chaos erupted along the Badagry-Seme Expressway yesterday, as a contingent of Police officers reportedly affiliated with the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Special Squad apprehended a group of Policemen and operatives from the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) in a targeted operation against unlawful checkpoints along the Seme-Badagry Expressway.

According to Idoma Voice, members of the IGP task force pursued and apprehended various police personnel and security operatives stationed at these checkpoints, which were suspected to have been established solely for the purpose of extortion.

This occurrence likely stems from a recent meeting between Customs Comptroller-General, Bashir Adeniyi, and IGP Mr. Kayode Egbetokun, wherein they jointly committed to eliminating illicit checkpoints along the Seme-Badagry axis, a critical corridor connecting Lagos to Abidjan.

The proliferation of these unauthorized checkpoints has led to disruptions in the movement of goods and people, hampering trade facilitation and tarnishing the nation’s reputation within the regional and continental context.

Insiders have indicated that this crackdown will continue until individuals within the respective agencies responsible for these malpractices face appropriate sanctions and penalties.

In response to these events, maritime stakeholders have lauded the IGP for initiating actions to cleanse the region and have urged for its continuation until all illicit checkpoints are eradicated from the area.

Additionally, the maritime community has called on both the Customs Comptroller-General and the IGP to extend this reform to the maritime police, whose actions have reportedly impeded legitimate commerce and trade facilitation.

A Customs broker based in Seme, speaking anonymously to Vanguard, highlighted the challenges posed by the police command in relation to trade. The source stated, “The maritime police command has encroached on customs’ responsibilities by obstructing manifest processes. They exert influence on shipping companies to withhold manifests, and these practices have become deeply ingrained. They even seize containers enroute and relocate them to their facilities around Obalende. We implore the IGP to also investigate this matter. There is rampant extortion occurring within the maritime command. They should focus on combating maritime crimes and refrain from assuming customs duties.”