Lagos dismantles illegal checkpoints on Badagry expressway

Lagos
3 Min Read

The Lagos State Government has dismantled several illegal checkpoints along the Lagos–Badagry Expressway in a decisive move to improve vehicular movement and enhance road safety.

On Monday, the State Commissioner for Home Affairs, Alhaji Ibrahim Layode, led a coordinated operation with senior security officials to execute the dismantling exercise.

The operation was preceded by a high-level strategy meeting involving commanding officers from two Nigerian Army formations, representatives of the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), and a delegate from the Akran of Badagry.

During the operation, three unauthorised customs checkpoints at Mowo were dismantled with the cooperation of the Deputy Comptroller of Customs in charge of Enforcement, Seme Area Command.

Several motorists were apprehended or cautioned for violating traffic laws, including driving against traffic and overspeeding—behaviours linked to a recent spike in road accidents along the route.

At the Gbaji checkpoint, Commissioner Layode instructed security personnel to reduce the size of their operational footprint to allow for smoother movement of vehicles and goods.

Speaking to journalists, Layode stated that the action was part of a broader initiative to eliminate the proliferation of illegal checkpoints, which often pose logistical and safety risks for commuters.

“We’ve received troubling allegations that certain checkpoints are contributing to traffic congestion and, in some cases, fatal accidents. For instance, the tragic crash that occurred in Badagry yesterday, which claimed multiple lives, has raised concerns about the role of unauthorised checkpoints in such incidents. These are the types of avoidable tragedies we are committed to preventing,” he said.

The commissioner noted that Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu had expressed deep concern over the increasing number of accidents on the Badagry corridor and had directed immediate intervention.

In response, the commissioner held consultations with commanders of the 243 Battalion and the 15 Engineer Regiment of the Nigerian Army, the Seme Border Patrol Unit of the Nigeria Police Force, Area K Command, and Divisional Police Officers from Badagry and Morogbo.

“All stakeholders pledged full support for the governor’s directive, assuring us of their cooperation in dismantling unauthorised checkpoints. We also agreed on measures to restructure operations at approved checkpoints to minimise congestion and ensure smoother traffic flow,” he added.

Layode thanked all participating agencies and pledged to report the outcome of the intervention to Governor Sanwo-Olu to reinforce efforts toward restoring sanity on the Lagos–Badagry Expressway.

NAN recalls that on May 8, President Bola Tinubu launched a Presidential Task Force to eliminate multiple checkpoints obstructing the free flow of people and goods across key national corridors. The initiative was announced by Ambassador Musa Nuhu, Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to ECOWAS, during a visit to the Nigeria–Benin Republic border in Seme.

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