Industry stakeholders have again raised alarm over the continued highhandedness and illegal activities of “camp boys” at Nigerian ports and border corridors, despite existing laws banning their operations. This is even as they are calling on relevant authorities to demonstrate stronger political will and enforcement measures to eliminate the long-standing menace.
The term “camp boys” refers to unofficial operatives or errand men allegedly used by security and regulatory agencies such as the Nigerian Police Force (NPF), Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA), Standard organization of Nigeria (SON) and others to facilitate illegal collection of levies and compromise enforcement duties along port access roads or border corridors.
Shipping Position Daily recalls that the issue was prominent during a stakeholders’ meeting held last week at the Seme-Krake Border, and convened by the new Customs Area Controller of the Seme Area Command, Comptroller Wale Adenuga.
The meeting was a crucial dialogue with community leaders, security agencies, clearing agents, and representatives of the Nigerian Embassy in Benin Republic, and it focused on addressing persistent complaints over multiple checkpoints, harassment of citizens, and disruptions to legitimate trade along the Lagos–Abidjan corridor.
At the meeting, Comptroller Adenuga, decried the incessant complaints about the presence and highhandedness of camp boys at the border, stressing that their activities are illegal and expressly prohibited under existing Customs regulations. He reaffirmed that the Nigeria Customs Service has a clear law which banned the use of camp boys in any form of border or port operations.
However, stakeholders who spoke with Shipping Position Daily last week condemned the persistent use of camp boys, describing it as a product of corruption, incompetence, and lack of political will within the system. They unanimously called on the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy and the leadership of concerned agencies, to take decisive action to end the menace, insisting that without strong institutional will and proper monitoring, the cycle of corruption around “camp boys” will persist in Nigeria’s maritime and border operations.
Also, a chieftain of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANALCA), Mr. Pius Ujubonu, described the persistence of camp boys as a reflection of incompetence and corruption within the system. He noted that certain officers deliberately use camp boys as shields to avoid being caught engaging in unprofessional conduct.
He emphasized that eradicating the problem is achievable, if stakeholders are truly committed. He recalled that during his tenure as Chairman of the Ijora chapter of ANLCA, his association successfully flushed out camp boys working with various agencies.
Ujubonu further urged agencies such as the Nigeria Customs Service, NAFDAC, and NAQS to enforce internal discipline and end the practice of using unauthorized operatives as decoys. He concluded by reiterating that unless decisive steps are taken to eliminate these illegal intermediaries, corruption and inefficiency will continue to undermine the integrity of Nigeria’s maritime and border operations.
Also speaking, Secretary General of the National Council of Managing Directors of Licensed Customs Agents (NCMDLCA), Mr Festus Ukwu explained that the persistence of camp boys is linked to weak oversight and lack of enforcement by the relevant authorities.
Ukwu dismissed suggestions that the camp boys should be formally employed, arguing that their activities are rooted in illegality and corruption. According to him, there should be an active monitoring unit responsible for checking and arresting those involved in such practices.
The NCMDLCA Scribe urged Customs and other law enforcement agencies to take decisive action against the use of camp boys and intensify surveillance along trade routes to restore sanity and credibility to Nigeria’s border and port operations.
On his part, Seme Chapter Chairman of the ANLCA, Mr. Onyekachi Ojinma, likened the problem to malaria — a recurring disease that reappears after every attempt to treat it, saying efforts to eliminate the illegal operatives have repeatedly failed because they are protected and used by officers of various government agencies.
Ojinma alleged that even when camp boys are arrested, they are often released due to the influence of those benefiting from their activities. He further decried the proliferation of checkpoints along trade routes, particularly at night, where such illegal operatives thrive.
“All the agencies are using camp boys. If you arrest them, they’ll bring them out again,” Ojinma alleged.
