SHOCKING REVELATIONS : ANLCA Blames Border Closure To Death Of Over 150 Members Amid Vehicle Ban
By Roland Ekama
Between 2016 and 2025, at least 150 freight agents have died due to border closures and the ban on vehicles at the border post, the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) has disclosed.
The Chairman of ANLCA Seme Chapter, Alhaji Abdulwasiu Abioye, revealed this on Wednesday, December 10, 2025, during a one-day health awareness programme and medical outreach for freight forwarders and customs brokers operating at the border post.
Abioye lamented that government policies on border operations have negatively affected members’ health during the period mentioned.
He added that the initiative to prioritize members’ health arose due to widespread cases of high blood pressure and related health challenges.
“Since 2016, when the government announced the prohibition of vehicle importation through the land border, and in 2019, when the borders were officially closed, over 150 members operating from Seme have died as a result of these policies,” he said.
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According to him, ANLCA has written several letters and submitted papers to the government urging them to reconsider the policies affecting vehicle clearance at the border, but no tangible results have been seen.
Providing background on how the border closure and vehicle ban contributed to members’ deaths, the ANLCA Chairman highlighted the lack of attention to health-related matters for practitioners, which triggered illness and, ultimately, death.
He also decried the shortage of young freight forwarders choosing the profession, noting that since the border closure and vehicle import ban, many have left the business
He stressed that most of the deceased members died as a result of high blood pressure, which has reduced membership over the past nine years.
Speaking further, the Chairman maintained that the border closure and vehicle ban policies also caused young freight forwarders to abandon the business due to low patronage from importers in the border community.
He also commended the Customs Area Controller, Seme Command, Nigeria Customs Service, Comptroller Wale Adenuga, for his collaboration with stakeholders toward ensuring seamless border operations, adding that the command revenue drive can triple if the government look inward left ban on vehicles import through the borders.
The Secretary of ANLCA, Seme Chapter, Austin Nwosu, lamented the tragic loss of members due to government policies and appealed to policymakers to revisit the ban on vehicles through the borders.
