Detains cargo after Customs release

By Godfrey Bivbere &   Precious Duru

THE Maritime Police Command seems to have ignored the executive order by acting President Yemi Osinbajo, directing all agencies at the ports to work together to ensure 24 hours port operations. Importers told Vanguard Maritime  that officials of the Command position themselves at various port terminals to demand between N20,000 and N50,000 from owners of cargoes through their agents.

Vanguard Maritime further learned that failure to oblige the illegal demand would lead to instigation of a letter from the Command to the terminal operators and shipping companies to withhold release of the defaulting consignment, thereby undermining the executive order on speedy cargo clearance.

Such a letter sighted by Vanguard Maritime shows these measures were coming after the executive order, citing ‘investigation activities,’ alleging case of forgery and economic sabotage, with owners of the affected consignments subsequently directed to go and discuss with an Assistant Commissioner of Police in charge of maritime operations. The importers alleged that this process would terminate in payment of between N150, 000 and N200,000 before the consignment could be released.

Management of Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA, has over the years written several letters to agencies and the police on the need for the latter to stay away from cargo clearing process at the port but such letters have been ignored. Similarly, the various clearing and forwarding agencies at the port have cried out over interruption and extortion by the police in the course of performing their duty, but the scenario has continued unabated.

Interruption and extortion

One of such groups, National Council of Managing Directors of Licensed Customs Agents, NCMDLCA, wrote a petition to Nigerian Shippers Council, NSC, copying the Managing Director of NPA and the Assistant Inspector General of Police, AIG, in charge of Maritime Command on activities of the Maritime Police Command.

The letter dated July 18, 2017, by the Deputy National President of NCMDLCA, Uchu Block, entitled, “Save Nigeria Importers and their agents from the officers of the Maritime Police Command,” called on the port regulator to come to their aid. The petition read in part: “It is sad to note that after several meetings of stakeholders and the inter governmental agencies on the implementation of the Executive Order on sea port operations which kicked off on July 14, 2017, the maritime police are still on the illegal mission of blocking containers at the shipping companies and terminal operators, asking that such containers are under police investigations and should not be released until such fictitious investigations are concluded by the police. “Our concern is that this act is not carried out by the junior personnel but by senior officers of the rank of Assistant Commissioner of Police, ACP. Your swift attention and order on the subject matter of this appeal are earnestly solicited by us.”

When contacted the AIG Maritime Police command, Pius Imue, asked why Vanguard should be calling an Assistant Inspector General of Police, AIG, after closing hours on an issue that should be handled by the public relations unit of the Command.

He said, “I am just getting home now,  you picked up your phone and call the AIG like that? It is not right. Why don’t you come to the Maritime Command to speak with the Commissioner or anybody on ground? What is so important about clearing agents who come to you? These clearing agents clear containers with firearms, don’t you people see it on television? As police officers, we have to cross check what they are bringing in?”

On his part,  General Manager of Western Ports of the NPA, R. A. Gbadamosi told Vanguard that he was not sure that the Maritime Police Command still stops consignments from leaving the ports because a committee headed by him resolved the issue last month.

He said that the former AIG in charge of the Command was moved as a result of the work of the committee and the new AIG actually stopped the interference, a situation that was confirmed by the Association of Nigeria Licensed Customs Agents, ANLCA.

When Vanguard informed  him that there were several cases of stoppages between last June and last month after the completion of the work of the committee, he said he  could not comment on it since the Managing Director of NPA, Hadiza Usman was copied in a recent petition by NCMDLCA.

Similarly, the Public Relations Officer of Tin-can Island Command of the Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, Uche Ejesieme, said that they  heard about the complain of the activities of the Maritime Police Command.

Ejesieme explained that there was need for collaboration between the various government agencies operating in the ports.

He pointed out that he expects the police to revert to Customs should they discover any consignment that may have beaten the Customs just like Customs do by inviting the relevant agency when they discover items that concern them.

According to him, “All the agencies of government operating at the ports are statutorily charged with their responsibilities and what we expect is that if police runs into any matter that concern Customs, the honourable thing to do is to revert to Customs in the spirit of inter-agency collaboration.

“The same thing for Customs, when we see anything that has to do with any of the agencies of government, we refer it duly to the appropriate agency.  Even if anything escapes the watchful eyes of the Customs, police should be able to refer it back to Customs for necessary action.”

He noted that in the past Customs have intercepted Cocaine, fake products, sub-standard products, arms and ammunition etc., and that the Service always contact the relevant agencies to hand over to them.