Unformed security personnel have been accused of aiding and abetting sharp practices through illegal escorts of cargoes from Nigerian ports in Lagos.
The Acting Managing Director, Nigeria Port Authority (NPA), Mr Mohammed Bello-Koko, accused the security personnel at an interactive session with the House Committee on Customs and Excise.
He said that these officers were also involved in extorting money from importers from the several check points created in the port by various security agents.
He said NPA is working with the Federal Ministry of Transportation to ensure that the Lekki Deep Port commences operation by the second quarter of next year.
He also said the security challenges in the Southeast had also affected the operations of the ports in the east.
”There is the issue of extortion. There are multiple checkpoints in the ports extorting people. You have multiple checkpoints that are just springing up. These checkpoints are manned by police officers.
“At times you find men in Naval or military uniform, escorting vehicles illegally, Bello-Koko said, adding that the “Lagos State government has been very cooperative in terms of enforcement of the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) as it relates to the Electronic Truck Call-up System’’.
“We held a meeting recently with Federal Road Safety Commission, LASMA and other officers in the police force, and we decided that let them identify checkpoints and the essence of the checkpoints is let it not interfere with traffic,” he said.
