NAGAFF accuses Clarion terminal of criminal conspiracy, petitions Customs

The 100 Percent Compliance Team of the National Association of Government Approved Forwarders (NAGAFF) has petitioned the Nigeria Customs Service over illegal withholding of 14 vehicles belonging to its members and alleged criminal conspiracy by Clarion shipping terminal.

In a petition signed by the National Chairman, Tanko Ibrahim, and made available to Maritime Today Online, the group said the vehicles have been trapped at the terminal since July 2021 despite full payment of import duty and other charges.

The group also accused Clarion terminal of illegally releasing 19 containers without payment of demand notice amounting to N8.5million.

It stated that.is is baffled that a terminal operator could connive with a consignee to defraud the government of such a huge amount of money.

Tanko therefore appealed to the Comptroller General of Customs to prevail on the management of Clarion terminal to release all the 14 vehicles as well as commence investigation into the alleged release of the 19 containers.

The petition reads, “We write on behalf of our members whose vehicles were trapped at Clarion Shipping Terminal Limited since July 2021 for no fault of theirs and after duty and other charges have been duly paid.

“Upon our investigation into the matter, it was revealed that some 19 containers were allowed to go without paying demand notice (DN) issued to them as well as not following due process. The containers diversion plot was hatched by Clarion shipping terminal and the consignee, without the knowledge of the agency.

“The unpaid assessments were over N8.5million. Listed hereunder are the ‘C’ numbers of the demand notices:

1.C102499 of 28/03/2018; 2, C101123 of 23/03/18; 3, C101096 of 23/03/2018; 4, C101066 of 23/03/2018; 5, C101178 of 23/03/18; 6, C101155 of 23/3/18; 7, C101142 of 23/3/18.

Others are:8, C102438 of 23/03/18; 9, C102483 of 23/03/18; 10, C 102512 of 23/03/18; 11, C101098 of 23/03/18; 12, C102461 of 23/03/18; 13 C102500 of 23/03/18.

“It battles our association on how the terminal operator can connive with a consignee to defraud the government of such a huge amount of money.

“Our association has discovered that no terminal delivery orders were issued on the said containers by the agency. The diversion was an arrangement between Clarion and the consignee and that shady business has been going on for a long time.

“It is obvious from this standpoint that Clarion Shipping terminal constitutes an economic risk to the federal government.

“We therefore want to appeal to the CGC to prevail on the management of the Clarion Shipping terminal to release all our 14 vehicles as well as cause a full-scale investigation to unravel the mystery about the 19 containers saga.”