NPA, Police Launch Joint Crackdown On Illegal Checkpoints Along Apapa, TinCan Corridors
NPA, Police Launch Joint Crackdown On Illegal Checkpoints Along Apapa, TinCan Corridors
By Success Okezie
Stakeholders agree task force to end extortion, jurisdictional clashes as World Bank hails port reforms
The Nigerian Ports Authority and the Nigeria Police Force have declared a renewed war on unauthorised checkpoints and illegal roadblocks choking the Apapa and Tin Can Island port corridors, in a move aimed at restoring sanity, easing congestion, and boosting efficiency on Nigeria’s busiest trade routes.
This decision followed a high-level stakeholders’ meeting in Lagos convened by the NPA, where top security officers, freight forwarders, transport unions, and government agencies agreed on coordinated actions to dismantle operational bottlenecks frustrating cargo movement.
Speaking after the meeting, Managing Director of NPA, Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho, said investigations confirmed multiple challenges beyond the port gates. These include illegal extortion points, confusion over jurisdiction between security agencies, and distortions that have turned the Apapa-Tin Can corridor into a nightmare for truckers and importers.
“We have problems along the port corridor in Apapa and Tin Can Island. We have established that there are issues around extortion along the corridor. That is outside the port,” Dantsoho stated.
He noted that the disruptions extend as far as Berger and Mile 2, areas that fall within the wider corridor network but have become notorious for delays and illegal collections.
The NPA boss identified clashes between security commands as a major source of the problem. According to him, the existence of both the Maritime Police Command and the Lagos State Police Command has created overlaps, with each sometimes acting without clear coordination.
“The second issue is jurisdictional overlap. In our system, we have the police command for the port system, Maritime Police, and then there is also the Lagos State Police Command. So, in some instances, there are clashes, overlaps,” he explained.
In a major resolution, both the Maritime Police and Lagos State Police Command denied authorising any checkpoint or roadblock along the corridors.
“We have achieved a great lot of success in our discussions. The AIG Maritime Police has clearly stated that they do not send anybody to go and form roadblocks or checkpoints on the corridor. Equally, the Lagos Police Command has said the same thing,” Dantsoho said.
He described the consensus as a positive step toward ending years of delays and frustration for importers, exporters, and truck owners.
To sustain the gains, stakeholders agreed to set up a joint task force comprising the Lagos State Government, NPA, police, freight forwarders, and transport unions. The task force will monitor the corridors, eliminate extortion, and ensure free flow of traffic.
Dantsoho said all agencies have committed to deeper collaboration to reposition Nigeria’s ports as regional leaders.
“Our emphasis will be that we are going to function, and then function better in our practices, so we can do better than our neighboring countries,” he added.
He also highlighted global recognition for Nigeria’s ports, noting that the World Bank recently rated the country’s port system “inside the ports” as one of the most improved in the world, crediting ongoing federal reforms.
“I want to thank you for coming to support us. We have achieved great success from this meeting. The discussions were of high quality, and the outcome, I believe, is also high quality,” he said.
Earlier, Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of Maritime, AIG Okunade Ronke, debunked claims that police officers were deployed to checkpoints along the Lagos port roads. She warned that any officer found extorting truckers under the guise of official duty is acting illegally and will face disciplinary action.
“We have never posted officers to any checkpoint around the port environment. Any personnel found extorting truckers under claims of deployment from Zone 2 or Maritime Police is acting fraudulently and should be reported,” she said.
Okunade added that the new collaborative framework will streamline enforcement and reduce the jurisdictional conflicts that have complicated operations for years.
Representatives of AMATO and other transport unions welcomed the decision, describing it as a long-awaited step to end harassment and extortion that have increased cost of doing business at the ports.
The Lagos State Commissioner for Transportation also stressed that the problem requires inter-agency cooperation beyond transport, involving security and regulatory enforcement across jurisdictions.
At the close of the meeting, participants expressed optimism that the coordinated approach will improve security, reduce congestion, and make Apapa and Tin Can corridors work better for trade.
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