By Joshua Yousouph
The Maritime Police Command has denied involvement of its personnel in activities at the 34 illegal checkpoints identified on roads leading to the nation’s seaports, insisting that its personnel are not deployed at most of the locations where truckers and cargo owners claim unlawful collections are taking place.
Recall that Shipping Position Daily had published last week that truck drivers encounter more than 17 checkpoints on the Apapa corridor and another 16 along the Tin Can Port access road, where operators are allegedly compelled to make unofficial payments, with industry estimates showing that a single checkpoint alone could generate as much as N5.04 billion annually from trucks accessing the ports.
According to findings by our correspondent, the five approved NPA checkpoints are located at Mr Biggs Junction, Creek Road, NIMASA Junction, Eleganza Roundabout and Car Park ‘C’ at Tin Can Port.
The issue of illegal checkpoints has remained a major concern among stakeholders in the maritime industry, with truckers and cargo owners alleging that as many as 34 unauthorized checkpoints currently exist along the Lagos port corridors, contributing to delays, increased haulage costs and widespread extortion.
Despite these allegations, the Maritime Police Command has maintained that it is not responsible for most of the identified checkpoints and reiterated that only NPA-approved locations are authorized to operate within the port environment.
Speaking with our correspondent last week, the Police Public Relations Officer of the Maritime Police Command, ASP Adebayo Rasheed, said many of the operatives manning the checkpoints frequently accused of extortion are not under the Maritime Police Command, but belong to other police formations, including the Western Ports Authority Police, Area B Command and Apapa Police Division under the Lagos State Police Command.
He explained that any checkpoint operating within the port environment without a clearly visible signpost indicating approval by the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) should be regarded as unauthorized.
“Most of these people you are talking about, the Maritime Police do not have men at those points. The people who have much men there are from the Western Ports Authority Police, Area B and Apapa Police Division under the Lagos State Police Command,” Rasheed stated.
“Any checkpoint that stands and you do not see a signpost showing that it is an approved checkpoint by NPA is not an approved checkpoint,” he said.
Rasheed disclosed that the Maritime Police, in collaboration with the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC), had previously undertaken extensive enforcement operations aimed at eliminating illegal checkpoints and curbing extortion along port access roads.
According to him, the exercise, which received multiple follow-up interventions from senior police authorities, including the Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG), significantly reduced complaints from stakeholders.
He noted that approved checkpoints are established by the NPA and are expected to have NPA personnel present alongside representatives of other government agencies such as the police, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), and in some instances, the Nigeria Customs Service.
The police spokesman urged truckers, freight forwarders and other port users experiencing harassment or extortion to formally report such incidents to the Maritime Police Command for prompt investigation.
“We operate an open-door policy. Any complaint you have against the Maritime Police Command or activities of the police within the ports, you can always reach out to us. We will take it up and investigate,” he assured.
He further revealed that several illegal checkpoints had previously been dismantled following stakeholder complaints and enforcement actions, adding that petitions would be investigated if there were indications that such checkpoints had resurfaced.
Meanwhile, truck operator and chieftain of the Lagos State Truck and Cargo Operators Committee (LASTCOC), Mr. Seyi Adekanbi, confirmed the existence of designated NPA monitoring points within the port corridor.
Adekanbi, however, questioned the continued necessity of physical checkpoints, arguing that modern technology such as drones could be deployed to monitor traffic and compliance within the port corridor.
