Don’t Inspect Some Containers, CG Custom Directs Officials

Abdullahi-Dikko

A directive from the Controller-General of Customs, Abdullahi Diko to
officials of the Department at the Apapa ports not to inspect certain
imports from Europe have raised concerns over alleged sabotage of Federal
Government directives regarding contraband and foreign exchange usage.
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) recently released a list of items that
should not qualify for foreign exchange access to enable their importation
into the country.
The list includes toothpicks, textiles and furniture, among others. These
goods are classified as contraband and custom officials are by government
directive not allowed to clear such into the country.

But findings by indicate that the Customs DG may have been colluding with
importers of such contraband goods to allow their entry and circulation in
Nigeria especially through the Apapa ports. Mr. Dikko, impeccable sources
said, directed his men to allow the containers on arrival into the ports
to be transferred to bonded terminals and subsequent release to the
importers without the statutory physical inspection or by scanning at the
ports.
There have also been concerns that some of these consignments may not only
be contraband goods but could be questionable shipments “security agencies
should be concerned about given the rising state of insecurity occasioned
by rising boko haram attacks in recent times,” according to a source
conversant with operations at the ports.
And by implication, these imports questionable as they seem have been
fleecing the Nigerian economy of billions of naira as the importers had
access to official foreign exchange rates to undertake the shady
transactions.
The goods are listed on shipment manifest mostly as manicure/pedicure sets
and industrial sealing machines but instead of subjecting them to
inspection and verification, “orders came from our ogas that the
consignments be released to importers without the required due process,”
said another source.
In one instance, a MAERSK Calabar/CMA-CGM vessel with voyage No. 8M120E
which arrived Apapa port in June, 2015, contained five of such contraband
containers. They are: B/L No: DEM0121817; B/L No: DEM0121765; B/L No:
DRUN004554; B/L No: DPPC101939; and B/L No: QDGY004478.
These shipments were moved to a certain DonClimax Bonded Terminal said to
be owned by a top Customs official from where they are subsequently
released to the importer, indicated in official documents as Fedobra
Ventures Ltd.
In another shipment which arrived Nigeria also in June via a Grande
Cotonou vessel with Voyage No. GCT0315, about 20 such contraband
containers were passed through same contravention directive of the federal
government. Some of the containers included: B/L No. S310326328; B/L No.
S310276403; B/L No. S310293605; and B/L No. S310290121, among others.