The Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Immigration Service, Mrs Kemi Nandap, has temporarily relieved the commanding officers of the affected commands along the Lagos-Seme border corridor of their duties following online reports alleging extortion by personnel of the service
Nandap also ordered an immediate investigation into the incidents.
The service, in a statement signed by its Public Relations Officer, Akinsola Akinlabi, on Friday, said Nandap “unequivocally condemns the actions depicted in these reports, as such conduct is unacceptable and stands in direct violation of the core values, ethics, and operational standards of the Service.”
The statement did not specify the number of officers suspended or identify the commands affected, but said the investigation was directed at identifying “all officers involved” to ensure “appropriate disciplinary measures are applied with immediate effect.”
The Lagos-Seme corridor, which links Nigeria to the Republic of Benin at the Seme land border in Lagos State, is one of the busiest and most strategically significant entry and exit points in West Africa.
The route handles heavy volumes of commercial goods, cross-border traders, and travellers, and has long been a pressure point for complaints of harassment and extortion by border officials.
The Buhari-led government shut the border between 2019 and 2020 as part of a crackdown on smuggling and unauthorised cross-border movement, a closure that drew significant economic criticism before it was eventually lifted.
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