Traders, clearing agents and drivers have expressed concerns over the proliferation of checkpoints mounted by security operatives on the Seme Border-Mile 2 corridor.
They alleged that many of the “illegal” checkpoints were mounted to extort them, a situation they said was stifling their businesses.
The Seme-Mile 2 corridor is a major route that links Nigeria with neighbouring Benin Republic and other countries. Thousands of Nigerians and visitors from the two countries transact businesses along this corridor on daily basis.
Our correspondent, who visited the route last week, observed about 200 checkpoints manned by personnel of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) and the Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service (NAQS).
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At different times, the NCS had promised to ensure seamless movement of cargoes between Nigeria and countries in the sub-region.
The Comptroller-General of the NCS, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, had, during his first visit to the Seme Border last year, assured the business community that the Service will look into the proliferation of the checkpoints.
The Customs boss had, during his opening remark at the National Trade Facilitation Committee (NTFC) stakeholders retreat held in Lagos last September, admitted that stopping at several checkpoints along the route was causing impediments to facilitating trade.
He however stated that the Service had reduced the number of checkpoints in the corridor from 60 to three, in order to ease business.
“We’ve undertaken a review of our enforcement strategies to ensure that we rationalise the number of Customs’ structures that actually have these checkpoints. And one of the structures that we did away with was the so-called Strike Force, which was abolished and their operations were merged with that of our Federal Operations Unit.
