The cries of Nigerians harassed and extorted at the Seme border have gone beyond local complaints. Today, the Yoruba community in the diaspora joins its voice in condemning the excesses of Customs officers who have turned a legal regulatory process into an avenue of intimidation and illegal enrichment.
For years, ordinary travelers have endured harassment in the name of bond deposits and laissez-passer permits. What should be a simple process of documentation and refund has been twisted into a web of extortion. Demands of 10% cuts on weekend refunds, inflated laissez-passer fees rising as high as ₦100,000, and endless “unofficial levies” have reduced the Seme border to a disgraceful gateway for Nigerians returning home.
As a community that maintains strong ties with families, culture, and heritage, the Yoruba in diaspora cannot fold their arms while their brothers and sisters are humiliated at the border. This is not just a Nigerian problem, it is a diaspora problem—because every unjust treatment of our people weakens trust and discourages those abroad from reconnecting with their homeland.
It is even more disheartening that these abuses persist despite repeated complaints to the Nigerian Embassy in Benin Republic. The absence of a substantive ambassador only worsens the vacuum of accountability, leaving citizens vulnerable.
The Yoruba diaspora community therefore joins in calling on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to take personal interest in this matter. His intervention, alongside the Minister of Finance, the Comptroller-General of Customs, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa of NIDCOM, is urgently needed to restore dignity at Nigeria’s borders.
We demand:
- Immediate investigation into the activities of Customs officers at the Seme border.
- Strict enforcement of official bond and laissez-passer fees without hidden charges.
- Swift deployment of a Nigerian Ambassador to Benin Republic to strengthen diplomatic coordination.
- Protection of travelers’ rights as enshrined in law and international conventions.
The Yoruba nation has always been a proud people, both at home and abroad. But dignity is lost when Nigerians cannot pass their own border without harassment. It is time for the government to match words with action and prove that no Nigerian—whether in Lagos, Cotonou, or London—will be left at the mercy of corrupt officers.
The Yoruba in diaspora are watching. And they will not remain silent.
