The Chairman of the Seme Chapter of the Africa Association of Professional Freight Forwarders and Logistics of Nigeria (APFFLON), Dr. Olusegun Elufioye, has disclosed that fresh assurances have been given by the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) Border Patrol Command to end the incessant harassment of freight forwarders and truckers operating legitimately along the Seme corridor.
In a chat with our correspondent on Wednesday, October 2, Dr. Elufioye stated that he officially visited the Southwest Coordinator of Border Patrol, who operates from Seme, to address the long-standing challenges of multiple checkpoints and undue interference faced by freight forwarders conveying goods with genuine documentation.
According to him, the Southwest Coordinator, ACP Munnir Y. Gafai, categorically issued a directive that “all Nigerian groups and traders with proper documents, receipts, and ETLS (ECOWAS Trade Liberalization Scheme) should no longer be disturbed henceforth.”
Elufioye noted that the instruction, if implemented, would significantly ease the bottlenecks on the busy Lagos–Seme corridor, which has long been plagued by delays, extortion, and undue stops that affect the cost and speed of cross-border trade.
He explained that the Coordinator emphasized that the role of Border Patrol officers and other security operatives is not to harass and legitimate traders, but to focus on their core duties, which are to curb smuggling of illegal arms, human trafficking, and other prohibited practices.
The APFFLON chapter chairman expressed cautious optimism that the order would be obeyed and implemented without delay. “We hope to see that this particular signal and instruction will take effect immediately, because our members have suffered enough from unnecessary bottlenecks along this corridor,” he said.
It was also discussed that if Nigerians are freely-allowed to use the ECOWAS corridor without unnecessary extortion, it would go a long way in promoting made-in-Nigeria goods and boosting regional trade. According to Elufioye, such a move would have a direct impact on Nigeria’s economy. “If our goods move freely and our traders are not frustrated on this corridor, the country’s GDP will rise, and we will all enjoy a better economy,” he stressed.
Elufioye further hinted that APFFLON would closely monitor compliance with the directive, stressing that any deviation or disregard for the instruction could attract stronger responses from the association, including possible legal action.
“If the officers on the road fail to implement this directive, we will not hesitate to take further steps to defend the rights of our members, even if it means filing a suit,” he cautioned.
The Seme corridor, one of Nigeria’s busiest land borders, has been under constant scrutiny due to its role in sub-regional trade between Nigeria and neighboring Benin Republic. Freight forwarders have repeatedly lamented multiple roadblocks and extortion along the route, which have made cross-border trade more cumbersome and expensive.
