Committee Will Unravel Case of 19 ‘Flying’ Containers, Says Customs Comptroller
LAGOS PORT
By Francis Ugwoke
The Tin Can Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has set up a committee to investigate the case of the controversial 19 ‘flying’ containers in the port.
It would be recalled that a retired Assistant Comptroller of Nigeria Customs Service, Godswill Ojogwu, who is also a member of the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) had raised alarm over the alleged missing containers.
Ojogwu was among customs agents who protested at the Clarion Bonded Terminal, Alakija, Lagos, over alleged missing containers.
The allegation was that 19 containers were ‘missing or dubiously cleared’ and 14 vehicles seized by the management.
Ojogwu told newsmen during a protest at the terminal that his license was used to clear the 19 missing containers from the Tin Can Island port, an act, he said, was done illegally without his knowledge.
He accused Clarion Terminal of being behind the alleged movement of the containers.
Speaking on the issue on Wednesday, the Controller of the Tin Can Island Port Customs Command, Olakunle Oloyede, said the Committee investigating the matter has seven days to turn in their report.
On whether there could be arms and ammunition in the containers, Oloyede doubted this, but added that investigation would reveal the true situation.
According to him, the importers of the containers would be profiled on their business history to find out what type of trade they have been involved in.
He said, “We know how to profile importers and exporters. From the profile, going into history we will know whether the importer or exporter is in trade of arms. They have one week to submit their report.”.
The Tin Can container missing incident has prompted many to raise questions as to whether the ports are returning to the era of ‘flying’ containers when some goods were moved out of the ports without necessary documentations.
Such goods were simply contraband whose owners paid heavily to remove them out of the prying eyes of relevant operatives.
This was before the concessioning of the seaports to private operators when a syndicate specialized in removing such goods out of the ports for heavy settlement.
Observers believe that a similar ‘flying container’ arrangement may be what happened in the case of the 19 containers.
The Tin Can Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has set up a committee to investigate the case of the controversial 19 ‘flying’ containers in the port.
It would be recalled that a retired Assistant Comptroller of Nigeria Customs Service, Godswill Ojogwu, who is also a member of the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) had raised alarm over the alleged missing containers.
Ojogwu was among customs agents who protested at the Clarion Bonded Terminal, Alakija, Lagos, over alleged missing containers.
The allegation was that 19 containers were ‘missing or dubiously cleared’ and 14 vehicles seized by the management.
Ojogwu told newsmen during a protest at the terminal that his license was used to clear the 19 missing containers from the Tin Can Island port, an act, he said, was done illegally without his knowledge.
He accused Clarion Terminal of being behind the alleged movement of the containers.
Speaking on the issue on Wednesday, the Controller of the Tin Can Island Port Customs Command, Olakunle Oloyede, said the Committee investigating the matter has seven days to turn in their report.
On whether there could be arms and ammunition in the containers, Oloyede doubted this, but added that investigation would reveal the true situation.
According to him, the importers of the containers would be profiled on their business history to find out what type of trade they have been involved in.
He said, “We know how to profile importers and exporters. From the profile, going into history we will know whether the importer or exporter is in trade of arms. They have one week to submit their report.”.
The Tin Can container missing incident has prompted many to raise questions as to whether the ports are returning to the era of ‘flying’ containers when some goods were moved out of the ports without necessary documentations.
Such goods were simply contraband whose owners paid heavily to remove them out of the prying eyes of relevant operatives.
This was before the concessioning of the seaports to private operators when a syndicate specialized in removing such goods out of the ports for heavy settlement.
Observers believe that a similar ‘flying container’ arrangement may be what happened in the case of the 19 containers.
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