{"id":7334,"date":"2026-06-28T06:42:18","date_gmt":"2026-06-28T06:42:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/stakebridgeirpr.com\/media\/?p=7334"},"modified":"2026-06-28T06:42:18","modified_gmt":"2026-06-28T06:42:18","slug":"npa-police-crack-down-on-illegal-port-corridor-checkpoints-in-lagos","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stakebridgeirpr.com\/media\/npa-police-crack-down-on-illegal-port-corridor-checkpoints-in-lagos\/","title":{"rendered":"NPA, Police Crack Down On Illegal Port Corridor Checkpoints In Lagos"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Olumide Johnson<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), under the leadership of its Managing Director (MD), Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho, has secured multi-agency backing to dismantle unauthorised checkpoints and roadblocks along the Apapa and Tin Can Island port corridors following a high-level stakeholders’ meeting in Lagos. Security agencies, freight forwarders, transport unions and government institutions agreed to establish coordinated enforcement measures to eliminate illegal extortion points, resolve jurisdictional overlaps and restore efficient cargo movement across Nigeria’s busiest logistics routes.<\/p>\n

Dr. Dantsoho disclosed that investigations by the NPA identified illegal extortion, overlapping security mandates and operational distortions beyond the port gates, including around Berger and Mile 2, as major constraints to efficient corridor operations. Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG Maritime), Okunade Ronke, confirmed that neither the Maritime Police nor the Lagos State Police Command authorised checkpoints along the corridors, describing any officer operating such roadblocks as acting illegally.<\/p>\n

DECISION HIGHLIGHT<\/strong><\/p>\n

The NPA has secured a coordinated inter-agency commitment to remove illegal checkpoints, improve security coordination and strengthen governance of Nigeria’s port access corridors through a joint enforcement framework.<\/p>\n

DECISION MEMO <\/strong><\/p>\n

The latest intervention reflects the NPA’s expanding reform focus from improving activities inside port terminals to addressing inefficiencies across the wider logistics ecosystem that determines cargo evacuation and trade competitiveness.<\/p>\n

Rather than treating congestion as purely an infrastructure challenge, the Authority has identified governance failures along the transport corridors as a major source of logistics costs and operational delays. By convening security agencies and industry participants, the NPA has positioned institutional coordination as the principal mechanism for sustaining recent operational improvements within the ports.<\/p>\n

Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho stated: “We have problems along the port corridor in Apapa and Tin Can Island. Now, we have established that there are issues around expulsion along the corridor. That is outside the port.” He further explained that activities around Berger and Mile 2 also affect corridor efficiency.<\/p>\n

Highlighting another structural challenge, Dantsoho said: “The second issue is the issue of overlap, jurisdictional overlap. In our system, what is established is that there is a 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.”<\/p>\n

The meeting produced what the NPA described as significant progress in resolving these issues. According to Dantsoho, “We have achieved a great lot of success in our discussions\u2026 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.”<\/p>\n

He added that all relevant agencies had committed to deeper collaboration, stating: “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.”<\/p>\n

Dantsoho further noted that, “Our port system inside the ports have recently been confirmed as one of the most improved in the world by the World Bank,” attributing the progress to ongoing Federal Government reforms. He concluded: “I want to thank you for coming to support us. We have achieved a great success from this meeting. The discussions were of high quality, and the outcome, I believe, is also high quality.”<\/p>\n

Supporting the NPA’s position, AIG Okunade said: “We have never posted officers to any checkpoint around the port environment,” adding that any officer claiming deployment from the Maritime Police or Zone 2 is acting fraudulently and should be reported for investigation and disciplinary action.<\/p>\n

The coordinated framework, together with the planned multi-stakeholder committee, reinforces the NPA’s objective of aligning security, transport and regulatory institutions behind a common operational standard capable of improving cargo flow and strengthening Nigeria’s regional port competitiveness.<\/p>\n

DATA BOX<\/strong><\/p>\n