Truckers Begin Sanitation Exercise On Lagos Port Access Roads
The Lagos State Trucks and Cargo Operations Committee has commenced a sustained sanitation exercise on major port access corridors in Lagos to tackle extortion, improve compliance and ensure smoother movement of trucks into and out of the ports.
The exercise, which began last week, is expected to continue for several days, according to the Public Relations Officer of LASTCOC, Mordecai Seyi.
Seyi said the intervention was prompted by complaints from truckers over repeated checks and alleged unauthorised demands for money along port access routes.
He explained that although there were no legal toll points on the affected roads, some authorised checkpoints established for regulatory, security and operational purposes were allegedly being exploited for extortion.
According to him, the exercise is not intended to eliminate legitimate checks but to prevent their abuse and reduce unnecessary duplication.
“Where multiple points perform substantially the same function without operational necessity, LASTCOC will engage the relevant authorities towards reducing such duplication, particularly between the pre-gates and the ports,” he said.
Seyi said truckers should be allowed to undergo legitimate checks without being subjected to unauthorised payments, unnecessary delays or repeated inspections that serve no clear operational purpose.
He added that LASTCOC was documenting complaints, locations and reported demands for money to support investigations and appropriate interventions.
The committee also disclosed that its monitoring would not be limited to daytime operations, as mechanisms were being established to identify and verify reports of alleged night-time extortion and refer confirmed cases to the appropriate authorities.
However, Seyi warned truck owners and drivers against parking or queuing on port access corridors without a genuine call-up or legitimate operational reason.
He specifically cautioned against trucks remaining on the access routes simply while waiting for terminal delivery orders, noting that such practices could obstruct traffic, worsen congestion and create opportunities for extortion.
“It may also indicate an attempt to circumvent established port-access procedures. Trucks without a genuine call-up or legitimate operational reason to remain on the corridor should not occupy the line,” he said.
The LASTCOC spokesperson said the committee would work with relevant stakeholders to distinguish genuine operational challenges from deliberate violations of established port-access procedures.
He stressed that the sanitation exercise was designed to address both alleged abuse of truckers by unauthorised collectors and non-compliance by truck operators.
The exercise is being carried out in collaboration with the National Association of Road Transport Owners, Association of Maritime Truck Owners, Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria and other stakeholders.
Seyi said the collaboration would enhance the collection of credible complaints, field observations and monitoring reports while facilitating timely interventions.
He noted that the current exercise builds on LASTCOC’s interventions over the past two years, which he said had helped address extortion at several locations across Lagos.
According to him, extending the initiative to port access corridors was necessary because efficient and transparent truck movement remained critical to the state’s economy.
He added that the intervention was also aligned with the objectives of the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council to reduce unnecessary barriers, delays, costs and extortion affecting businesses and the movement of goods.
Seyi urged truck owners and drivers to report suspected cases of extortion through appropriate channels while complying with legitimate port-access procedures.
