The Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO) has raised the alarm that between Mile 2 and the Seme border, 53 checkpoints abound.

Speaking in Lagos on Friday during a courtesy visit to the Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC) by the International Trade Centre (ITC), the General Manager, Operations of NARTO, Okafor Stephen, lamented that the various checkpoints along the Mile 2 to Seme border afford state and non-state actors the opportunity to extort truckers carrying goods along the route.

According to the NARTO official, “I am not too conversant with issues that abound along the roads inside or after the border area, but for roads within Lagos, I know that between Mile 2 and the Seme border bus stop, our members always have to contend with 53 checkpoints.

“The issue of extortion is on the rise every day, and it seems nothing is being done to stem the ugly menace,” he said.

Also speaking during the visit, the Associate Programme Officer of ITC, Mr Richard Eke Metoho, lamented that female traders are fast becoming the subject of sexual harassment along the Seme-Krake trade route.

In the words of Mr. Metoho, “We have had instances where women moving goods along the Seme-Krake trade route have been sexually harassed by security officials stationed at different checkpoints.

“Officials of government agencies stationed at these routes in the border area sometimes ask for sex in exchange for allowing goods to pass.

“The situation can be that bad at the border areas for female operators,” he said.(Nigerian Tribune)