By Feyisola Adeyeha & Hannah Tedunjaye
The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and the Ports Authority Police Command have offered differing explanations of checkpoint operations along the Apapa port corridor, as allegations of unofficial payments and concerns over truck movement continue to raise questions about enforcement and accountability around Lagos ports.
While the NPA says no agency has the general authority to impound trucks outside the port complex over cargo-related matters, the Ports Authority Police Command maintains that checkpoints are legitimate crime-prevention measures, provided they are established following security assessments.
The positions emerged from separate interviews with the Lagos Port Complex Port Manager, Adebowale Lawal, and the Public Relations Officer of the Ports Authority Police, Western Command, ASP Isaac Hundeyin.
Lawal said agencies could not arbitrarily stop or impound trucks along the port corridor merely to examine their cargo, stressing that enforcement outside the port complex should be based on relevant criminal or traffic offences.
“No agency is empowered to impound any truck along the port corridor,” he said, adding that where a truck or its cargo is linked to criminal activity, the police may exercise their statutory powers.
He explained that police and Federal Road Safety Corps officers could intervene over offences such as accidents, speeding and drunk driving, but argued that cargo-related inspections should take place within the port complex.
The clarification raises questions about the legal basis for roadside operations involving trucks carrying goods to and from the ports, particularly where drivers allege that they are stopped repeatedly by different agencies.
The two officials also offered different descriptions of the roadside operations along the corridor.
Lawal rejected the characterisation of the designated points as illegal checkpoints, describing them instead as traffic-control points established to regulate truck movements and prevent congestion.
According to him, the NPA operates designated movement periods for different categories of trucks, including flatberth and empty containers, while export-laden trucks receive priority because some carry perishable goods.
He said the arrangements were intended to prevent trucks from overwhelming roads used by other residents and businesses in Apapa.
Lawal also maintained that the electronic truck call-up system, known as ETO, has significantly improved traffic flow, although he acknowledged that no system is perfect and that the authority continues to review its operations.
Hundeyin, however, described checkpoints as a recognised crime prevention mechanism and said several agencies, including the police, FRSC, NPA security personnel and Lagos State traffic officials, operates together at some locations.
He explained that checkpoint deployment follows security assessments that considers the prevailing security situation, population and volume of traffic.
The difference in the officials’ descriptions highlights the need to establish which roadside points are formally authorised, which agencies operate them, the specific purpose of each operation and the rules governing the stopping and inspection of port-bound trucks.
Hundeyin clarified that the Ports Authority Police Command’s jurisdiction covers designated seaports and terminals, including Apapa Port, Tin Can Island Port, Kirikiri Lighter Terminal, Ikorodu Lighter Terminal, Lekki Deep Sea Port and Lilypond.
He said the command did not have jurisdiction over the entire Mile 2–Kirikiri–Apapa expressway, distinguishing its responsibilities within port facilities from policing the wider road corridor.
The clarification is significant because truck drivers encountering uniformed personnel along the route may not readily distinguish between the Ports Authority Police, the Lagos State Police Command and other security and traffic agencies.
On allegations of extortion, Hundeyin said the command has received videos of alleged incidents and that some were subjected to forensic analysis.
He maintained that some of the individuals shown in the recordings were not officers of his command and said such cases could be referred to the Lagos State Police Command for further action where appropriate.
He also urged drivers and transport operators to document incidents and submit evidence through established reporting channels.
However, his response did not provide figures on the number of complaints received, the number of investigations concluded, disciplinary actions taken or cases referred to other commands.
Lawal similarly said the NPA did not condone unofficial payments and encouraged truck drivers to report demands for money. He also pointed to reporting channels provided through the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC).
Neither interview established the overall scale of alleged extortion along the corridor or demonstrated how many complaints has resulted in sanctions.
Beyond the dispute over roadside enforcement, Hundeyin identified terminal capacity and the handling of empty containers as factors contributing to truck queues, citing feedback from transport unions.
According to him, unions including the Association of Maritime Truck Owners (AMATO), the National Association of Transport Operators (NATO) and other industry groups have reported that loading bays at some terminals are full, leaving trucks returning empty containers with limited space to drop them.
The resulting queues, he said, could extend onto the expressway despite the presence of police officers attempting to facilitate truck movement.
“Maybe build more bonded terminals or something where they can drop these empty containers so that the roads can be decongested,” Hundeyin said.
He stressed that his explanation reflects feedback from the unions rather than an independently established finding by the command.
The suggestion points to a broader operational issue: roadside enforcement alone may not resolve congestion if terminals lack sufficient capacity to receive trucks and empty containers efficiently.
Lawal, on the other hand, maintained that traffic conditions has improved considerably under ETO. He cited his daily commute from Ikeja to Apapa and described the system as one that the NPA continues to review and improve.
He also said NPA officials carried out field inspections to observe conditions firsthand and respond to reports of irregularities.
One Comment