Clearing agents petition police over alleged assault, truck detention

A group of licensed clearing agents operating at the Seme Border has lodged a formal complaint with the Nigeria Police Force, accusing the chairman of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) of assault, intimidation, extortion, and illegally detaining trucks. The National Compliance Joint Taskforce of Licensed Clearing Agents (NCJTFLCA), Seme Border Chapter, submitted a petition detailing alleged repeated interference with their members' operations.

The core of the dispute appears to be the management and distribution of truck levies collected monthly from operators at the border. The NCJTFLCA claims that the ANLCA chairman, who heads the committee responsible for these levies, has excluded their association from the revenue-sharing process, even though their members' trucks contribute to the pool. This exclusion, coupled with a lack of transparency regarding the total amount collected, has raised serious concerns about financial impropriety and accountability among the clearing agents.

According to the petition, the conflict escalated in March 2026 when the ANLCA chairman allegedly ordered the detention of trucks belonging to NCJTFLCA members after their owners refused to pay the disputed levies. The NCJTFLCA describes this action as unlawful interference and economic sabotage. The group has urged the police to intervene swiftly, warning that the ongoing harassment and truck detentions risk triggering a breakdown of law and order and severely disrupting commercial activities at the critical Seme Border crossing.