Sèmè-Kraké Border: Police Takes a Stand Against Corruption and Extortion

The new mantra is clear: “No money to give for checks.” This is the strong awareness message being broadcast by the Republican Police at the Sèmè-Kraké border, a strategic crossing point housing the Joint Control Post (Pcj) between Benin and Nigeria. This initiative marks a complete break from practices of corruption, extortion, and clientelism that have long tarnished the image of this major economic corridor.

In the past, the situation at the entrance and exit of the Pcj was subject to lively complaints. Individuals and ordinary civilians illegally interfered in the system to conduct unauthorized checks on traders, forcing them to pay bribes to move around. Users of the road described a well-oiled system: “Truck drivers each give 2,000 FCFA to the ‘Klébés’ (informal civilian auxiliaries) of the police before passing, or else they risk being blocked,” lamented Lucien Gohoungou, president of the Sèmè-Kraké transporters.

In response to the increasing number of complaints over the past two months, the general management of the Republican Police has taken responsibility by deploying a new team at the Kraké-Plage police station, located within the Pcj itself. This reorganization comes with a strict roadmap: the total eradication of corruption and its corollaries. On the ground, the first results of this change in command are particularly visible: the presence of civilians alongside law enforcement has been completely banned at both the entrance and exit of the platform.

This vigorous takeover has been widely praised by civil society actors and users of the border. Sylvestre Ayivoh, an agent involved in the fight against child trafficking at the Sèmè-Kraké border, expresses a shared relief: “We appreciate the new police commissioner of Kraké-Plage. Very humble, he regularly goes out into the field and does his job well. In the past, wearing a helmet or seatbelt was not respected. We did whatever we wanted in Kraké, here. We behaved like those in Nigeria. Since his arrival, he has put an end to all that.” Now, republican order is reasserting itself, materializing the sovereignty of Beninese territory. Informal barriers have been lifted and traffic has become fluid. Regular users cross the border freely, while police action focuses exclusively on strict compliance with the law, targeting and automatically apprehending offenders.