By Efe Onodjae

The Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of Maritime, AIG Okunade Ronke, has denied allegations that officers were deployed to illegal checkpoints around port access roads, insisting that no such authorization exists within the system.

Her clarification came as the Nigeria Police Force and the Nigerian Ports Authority stepped up a coordinated operation aimed at dismantling illegal checkpoints and unauthorised roadblocks along the Apapa and Tin Can Island port corridors in Lagos.

The renewed enforcement drive follows growing concerns over extortion, traffic congestion, and jurisdictional conflicts that have long plagued the busy trade routes linking Apapa, Tin Can Island, Mile 2, and Berger. Authorities say the situation has significantly slowed cargo movement and increased logistics costs for port users.

The development was discussed at a high-level stakeholders’ meeting convened by the Nigerian Ports Authority in Lagos, which brought together security agencies, freight forwarders, transport unions, and other key stakeholders to agree on a more coordinated enforcement strategy.

Speaking after the meeting, the Managing Director of the NPA, Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho, noted that investigations revealed that many of the disruptions occur outside the formal port gates, where illegal extortion points and overlapping security jurisdictions create operational confusion.

He explained that unclear boundaries between different policing structures operating in the port environment have contributed to gaps in enforcement, allowing unauthorized actors to exploit truckers and delay operations along the corridor.

“There are issues around extortion along the corridor. That is outside the port,” Dantsoho said, adding that overlaps between the Maritime Police structure and the Lagos State Police Command have worsened coordination challenges.

According to him, both commands clarified during the meeting that they do not authorize the establishment of illegal checkpoints along the port access routes.

“We have achieved a great deal 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,” he added.

A key moment during the engagement was AIG Okunade Ronke’s firm denial of claims that police officers are stationed at extortion points under official deployment orders.

“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.

The NPA and security stakeholders agreed that any officer or individual involved in extortion or illegal roadblocks would face disciplinary action.

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