By Godfrey Bivbere

Clearing agents operating at Tin-can Island port have expressed concern over double examination by officers and men of the Nigeria Customs Service, NCS.

They noted that after the official examination of cargo which involved several government officials, most of the cargoes were again subjected to other examinations at the exit gate by men of the Service led by the Officer in Charge, O/C of the gate.

They alleged that cargoes are kept at the gate between two to five days after the official examination by these officers until owners of such consignments are made to pay extra duties before they are allowed out of the port.

An agent, Nicholas Azubike, who spoke with Vanguard on his experience, said his principal shipped in a luxury car with the right duty paid on it only for the O/C gate and his men to prevent the car from going out as a result of engine oil and dog food in the vehicle.

Azubike said he was asked to cough out N350,000 as penalty, which his principal was forced to pay after spending about four days on top of the truck. After the payment of N350,000, the trucker demanded N250,000 instead of the agreed N170,000 to cover the additional cost of the four-day delay his truck was subjected to.

Similarly, a member of  Igbo Maritime Practitioners In Nigeria, ASIMPIN,  Michael Akuenwebe, confirmed that exited containers are being re-examined at the exit gate. Akuenwebe explained that the same thing was happening at the second gate until it was stopped recently.

According to him, “It is a fact, it happens. It does happen, they open   the second time. They used to do the same thing at the second gate but they stopped, the one at the first gate persisted because that is the only weapon they can use to hold people.”   

Other agents who spoke to Vanguard on the condition of anonymity, explained that it has become a norm for officers and men of the Service at the Tin-can Port first gate to subject already cleared cargoes to further checks.

When Vanguard visited the Commands Public Relations Officer, Nkiru Nwala, to get her response, she promised to make inquiries and get back to our reporter but never did. Even a phone call to her was not responded to.