By Okey IROEGBU
The perennial and proliferation of checkpoints along Seme border is one of the long lists presented to CGC Bashir Adewale Adeniyi before his visit to Seme border. The continuous growth of these checkpoints had been a serious concern to stakeholders along this corridor. Travelers along the West Coast cannot hide their feelings any longer over the disparity between Nigeria and other West African nations on this corridor. A journey from Cote D'voire to Lagos would continue to be smooth until the traveler enters Seme Krake border where the situation would definitely change. In most cases, observers have asked if there is a crisis in Nigeria. First timers have made attempts to return back to their countries as a result of fear that, there might be an uprising which led to the multiple checkpoints. It all started unchecked until it became a tradition. Like an African proverb would say; if wickedness continues unchecked for a year, it becomes the culture of the people. Seme border was at a time booming with trade across the border. There is no doubt that this period of boom might have some violations of the best practices in international trade. There were violation on ECOWAS protocols on movements of people and goods. To checkmate these irregularities, various security operatives swung into action by placing
their presence to prevent 'breakdown' of order and actions that could undermine national security. How true was their initiative? This could be determined by their mood of operations. A situation where a particular security outfit moves virtually every officer in their station to the road, creating checkpoints on every twenty meters apart may not be seen as a tight security where tolls are involved. Officers along Seme checkpoints have been tempted to declare that they are working on fulfilling a special financial target given to them. The boom along Seme Express road brought in security agencies to the area from far and near. On police which could be regarded as more notorious on the road, there are IGP patrol and even Zone 2 Onikan at a point. On Nigeria Immigration whose work should have been restricted to the point of exit
and entry are seen scattered along Seme border. The question on the Immigration is therefore, why are there no such checkpoints along the Murtala Muhammad International Airport in Lagos, asking every commuter heading towards the airport direction their passport or where they are heading to? The people of Badagry community who are the perpetual victims have not taken a bold step to get these anomalies addressed. Their representatives at the state and national assemblies are also not helping matters to addressing this issue. With these numerous checkpoints, one would have the feelings that there are a lot of illegalities going on along this corridor but it is not true. As mentioned above, certain abnormalities have been established here and they have come to stay as tradition. How should a commercial driver be expected to pay a toll of N100.00 or N200.00 at every
police checkpoint without transferring the effects on the commuters? It is on this not that a journey of less than 25 kilometers would cost commuters N700.00 and the journey of less than 30 minutes will take two hours because of these stop and pay-your-toll. New police intakes sees the toll collection as normal and could do it with careless abandon even to the extent of delaying passengers in their bid to find change for the driver. Which other parts of Lagos state are these done? When the CGC was presented with this pathetic story of war-like checkpoints, he showed compassion but advised that it would be a symbiotic responsibility if there are other hidden agenda.According to him, “these are conversations that would happen within us when we have gotten assurances from the communities that they would be ready to assist the agencies in doing their job. Before I came here, I have received communications from the Area Controller (Comptroller Dera Nnadi mni), he had reflected a number of the burning issues which is the source of concern for the communities here.“The list is very long, but the most important is that we want to enhance our National security, we want to do it with fewer number of checkpoints. We get your message and we would be doing it with other security agencies to see how we can rationalize the checkpoints“I also want to challenge you that National Security is not the responsibility of these government agencies alone, this is the difference between us and our counterparts in West Africa, National Security is the business of every citizen, and all strata of the society treat it as a priority.“So, it should not be the business of only the security agencies. So, as we make life easier for business, I want to charge you also to make life and the work of our security agents easier.“The criminals live among us, those importing arms and ammunition live among us, they operate within our precinct, what you can do to help our national security is to help us with information and intelligence for us to catch these criminals visiting mayhem on our communities. “If the security agencies can do the job with accurate intelligence from you, then, we might not need these checkpoints again," the CGC said. Thinking that these checkpoints actually were trimmed down, the CGC was delighted on his way back as he said, “Now that we have dismantled the checkpoints, your people must also obey the law when they are stopped for checks, if not, they would lose their means of conveyance." The truth is that the checkpoints frizzle out on the information that a government official is visiting. As soon as he goes, the checkpoints like evil spirits comes back in folds to keep tormenting the people. Is there any solution to this abnormal situation, yes there is. From critical investigation, these checkpoints are products of corruption, established from the high authority. SP Sunday Bada of blessed memory once told Editors of this media on a lecture on how the monies collected at these points are shared. He took us to a secret room where the money from each checkpoint were collated as the heads of each patrol team makes returns regularly. This is where the issue of meeting ones target comes from. Bada did not see it as a crime instead he volunteered to sponsor our trip to Abuja to go and uncover the huge corruption at the National Assembly. The National Assembly with her huge Baggage of corruption cannot therefore make any law to repel these illegal checkpoints because one do not know if they have their own shares here too? The solution lies on the people voicing out continuously.
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