A SaharaReporters investigation has uncovered allegations that officers of the Army, Police, and Nigeria Customs Service are part of a sophisticated smuggling syndicate generating between N4 billion and N6 billion every week along the Seme Badagry and Idi Iroko borders.
The report claims that the network enables hundreds of trucks carrying foreign rice, vehicles, and other contraband to enter Nigeria from Benin Republic under official protection. According to border operators, officers posted to enforce border laws instead act as guarantors and escorts for smugglers, ensuring safe passage after financial settlements.
Members of the Union of Pioneers Association a body representing more than 3,000 long-time border traders say they have been edged out by a powerful cartel allegedly supported by senior military and customs officers. They accuse security personnel of monopolising the profits while indigenous operators bear the risks.
Sources further allege that a single strongman now oversees primary smuggling routes across Seme Badagry, with military and police personnel reportedly redeployed to accompany illegal shipments into Lagos. Some soldiers were reportedly sighted supervising loading activities after deals had been finalised with customs officials.
Efforts by displaced local operators to negotiate re-entry into the trade, including meetings with a prominent Yoruba monarch, have reportedly been unsuccessful. They believe security agencies are stalling discussions to secure an uninterrupted and highly profitable December smuggling window.
While Lagos has become restricted to cartel-affiliated operators, at least seven border passages through Ogun State are said to remain open, enabling daily movement of trucks with minimal checks.
The operators are now preparing to petition National Security Adviser Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, calling for a full-scale probe into what they describe as a vast criminal enterprise protected by individuals in uniform. They warn that the situation endangers national security, damages Nigeria’s economy, erodes trust in law enforcement, and undermines the livelihoods of border communities.
