By Godfrey Bivbere

Importers using the ports in Lagos State are fretting over alleged resurgence of flying of containers from the ports.

Container flying is an illegal clearance of containers from the ports with fake papers.

A clearing agent, who spoke with Vanguard on the issue, said that container flying is beginning to re-surface at the Lagos ports, attributing it to the existence of a cartel in the industry that has began to grow more confident in their activities.

The agent said the recent one was at Tin-can Island Command where the issue of container flying seems to be more rampant.

A maritime programme on radio alluded to the allegation on Monday, when it said that container flying has resurfaced at Tin-can port.

Although efforts to get the reaction of the Public Relations Officer of Nigeria Customs Service, Wale Adeniyi, on the issue proved abortive, the Public Relations Officer of Tin-can Island Command of the Service, Chris Osunkwo, said “it is not true.”

Osunkwo, who told Vanguard that his boss has called his attention to the said report, wondered why anyone should report a case like that without getting the reaction of those involved.

He challenged anyone with any proof of such incident to make it available, saying that the Command would take responsibility if the allegation is found to be true. Speaking further, Osunkwo said that no one has come to him to complain about missing container or anything like that.

National President of Association of Nigeria Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Prince Olayiwola Shittu, told Vanguard that they have been hearing about flying of containers. Shittu stressed that it is not possible for such acts to succeed without the active involvement of government agencies. He noted that there are people who will continue to develop ways of subverting the clearing process and therefore security agencies should work at over coming whatever these people come out with..

He explained that if there is a cartel, the security agencies must work at unveiling those behind it.

Similarly, Chairman, Presidential Monitoring Taskforce of ANLCA, Dom Obi, said he is not aware of such incident, querying, ‘Why will someone want to do that.’

On whether it is impossible to fly containers from the port, Obi said “Nothing is impossible” but insisted that he was not aware of such a practice presently. When informed that some of such containers are moved out of the port without the knowledge of the owners, the ANLCA chieftain said in that case, it is not container flying but out-right stealing.

Media Consultant of APM Terminal, Bolaji Akinola, denied the allegation saying, “To the best of my knowledge, there is no such occurrence.” Akinola observed that such acts were rampant in the past just after the terminals were handed over to private terminal operators.

He said those who were caught then were exposed, adding that no terminal operator would condone such occurrence in their domain, as it is not only an economic crime against the nation but also against the interest of terminal operators and shipping companies.

On whether it is possible for containers to be taken out of a terminal without the knowledge of the management, the APM Terminal consultant said “As I said earlier, am not aware of any such thing.”