ANLCA, AREFFN, others unite to uphold court judgement halting POF collection

Four out of the five registered associations by the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN) have entered an alliance to enforce a recent Federal High Court judgment that suspended the collection of Practitioners Operating Fees (POF) at the nation’s seaports.

The freight forwarding associations, namely, the Associations of Nigeria Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), National Association of Air Freight Forwarders and Consolidators (NAFFAC), Association of Registered Freight Forwarders of Nigeria (AREFFN), and the National Council of Managing Directors of Licensed Customs Agents (NCMDLCA) have subsequently directed their members to immediately stop paying the controversial fee.

Recall that a Federal High Court’s ruling, delivered on May 26, 2025, ruled in favour of Mr. Lucky Eyis Amiwero, a factional National President of NCMDLCA, nullifying the POF collection from licensed customs agents.

During a joint press conference held at the ANLCA headquarters on Friday, the associations warned the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN), Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), and terminal operators to respect the court’s judgment and cease all POF collection forthwith, or risk being held in contempt of court.

Presidents of the four associations present – Emenike Nwokeoji (ANLCA), Prince Adeyinka Bakare (NAFFAC), Bala Lawan Daura (AREFFN, represented by Chief Frank Obiekezie), and Chief Ifeanyi Anakweze (NCMDLCA factional President) – jointly stated their resolve to ensure compliance.

The joint statement read: “We are writing to inform you of the Federal High Court judgment delivered on May 26, 2025, by Justice D.E. Osiagor in Suit No. FHC/CS/765/2018 between NATIONAL COUNCIL OF MANAGING DIRECTORS OF LICENSED CUSTOMS AGENTS vs. 1. MINISTER OF TRANSPORT, 2. NIGERIA PORTS AUTHORITY (NPA) and 3. COUNCIL FOR THE REGULATION OF FREIGHT FORWARDING IN NIGERIA (CRFFN).

“This judgment nullifies the collection of Practitioners Operating Fees (POF) from Customs Licensed Agents. As Customs Licensed Agents, we demand that you immediately cease the collection of POF from our members in compliance with this court order. Continuing to collect these fees would be a direct disregard of the court’s judgment.

“We specifically urge you to disregard the letter Reference No. CRFFN/RCEO/POF/CIRC/07/2025 dated July 10, 2025, which incorrectly advises the continued collection of POF in defiance of the aforementioned judgment. We swiftly noticed that the CRFFN letter lacks an official signature from any council official, which suggests the author was attempting to avoid impending contempt of court criminal proceedings.

“We are confident that you will uphold the rule of law in this matter”

ANLCA National President, Emenike Nwokeoji, emphasized that despite being secured by a factional president, the court judgment applies to all licensed customd agents stating that the associations will not watch idly as CRFFN tries to disobey the court judgment by directing terminal operators to continue the POF collection.

“The major issue we want to address here at the press conference is the implementation of the judgment. While we subjected the judgment to our different legal department interpretations, we now saw a release signed by management of CRFFN urging terminal operators, which was listed on the rider, to disobey the court judgment. We say no!

“This issue has gotten to the stage where it would be unfair for us to sit back and watch knowing that we are operating in a country that is governed by the rule of law. That was why we decided to hold this press conference based on the legal interpretations we have gotten from our different legal advisers of the various associations.

“It is a court judgment, once a judgment is obtained; it is either obeyed or an appeal is made. If you are not comfortable with the judgment, all the parties involved- CRFFN, NPA, Terminal Operators are all under the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy and they all have legal departments. I believe that their legal department cannot tell them to just throw away a court judgment,” the ANLCA President said.

Also speaking, NAFFAC President, Prince Adeyinka Bakare, clarified that while the associations do not wish to cripple CRFFN, the council has legitimate budgetary provisions outside of the POF.

He equally observed that the court judgment applies to all customs license holders, adding that, as a freight forwarder, one cannot operate at the ports or transact business with the customs or clear cargoes without possessing a customs license.

Bakare explained that NAFFAC members, who predominantly operates at the airports, are equally subjected to other licenses from Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) among others, which any freight forwarder willing to clear cargo from the airport must possess.

On his part, the President of AREFFN, represented at the briefing by the National Secretary of the Association, Francis Obiekezie, noted that, regardless of the internal crisis within the NCMDLCA, the court judgment must be obeyed to the letter.

“Lucky Amiwero is a customs license agent. He is doing most of the things that we are doing, the court he went to is a Nigerian court; the court is not the Council of Managing Directors’ court.

“So we are following what happened, and we are principal stakeholders in the case he went to court upon, so the outcome will affect us.”

Meanwhile, in a shocking twist, the factional NCDMLCA President, Chief Ifeanyi Anakweze, despite previous disagreements with Amiwero, urged NCMDLCA members to support the judgment, acknowledging it as a victory for all Nigerian freight forwarders.