SEME Corridor: Adenuga Amplifies CGC’s Directive: ‘Vacate All Illegal Checkpoints Now!’

As part of an effort to enhance trade and effectively boost movement and ease of doing business along the Seme-Badagry highway, the Nigeria Customs Service is set to significantly reduce the number of checkpoints on the Seme-Badagry highway.

Speaking during a stakeholder engagement in Seme on Monday, the Area Controller, Seme Customs Command, Comptroller Wale Adenuga lamented how these multiple checkpoints have turned the international highway into a nightmare for traders and tourists. 

Consequently, he has announced the directive of the Comptroller-General of Customs, CGC, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, against all unauthorised checkpoints, saying they must be removed.

“Multiple checkpoints are a national embarrassment,” Adenuga stated, amplifying the CGC’s directive.

 “We will reduce them drastically. If you have no business on that road, stay off. In all we do, let us fear God.”

He issued a stern warning to all agencies operating along the corridor, urging them to eliminate unnecessary roadblocks and align with efforts to sanitise the route.

Adenuga also announced a ban on the use of “camp boys” — non-official personnel manning checkpoints.

 He emphasised that Customs officers must carry out their duties personally and not delegate responsibilities to untrained individuals.

Responding to calls from local youths for employment opportunities, the Comptroller assured support for legitimate business ventures. 

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However, he clarified that recruitment into the Nigeria Customs Service is strictly merit-based and conducted through an open online application process.

On the stalled school project initiated by Customs, Adenuga confirmed that work would soon resume. 

He revealed that he had formally written to the Comptroller-General to expedite the development and called for cooperation from the border community.

Comptroller Adenuga emphasised the need for collective honesty and cooperation among stakeholders to address the challenges bedevilling the border axis. 

The initiative marks a significant step toward restoring order and fostering economic growth in the Seme-Badagry axis.