Customs ‘FOU’ returns to Tin Can Port, Intercepts already cleared containers, vehicles

By Dapo Olawuni |

Fresh indications have emerged that the Federal Operations Unit (FOU) of the Nigeria Customs Service has started interception of containers and vehicles already cleared by the Tin Can Port Customs Command and the PTML Commands.

Licensed Customs Agents who confirmed this to our correspondent in Lagos alleged that the FOU officials usually storm the port area daily, and mostly at weekends to patrol the port, alleging that the unit sometimes stations in front of Hanover Bonded Terminal, PTML Terminal, Tin Can Port Gate and NPA National Building at Second Gate.

Former Public Relations Officer of Association of Nigeria Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) Tin Can Chapter, Mr Emmanuel Onyeme spoke with our correspondent and alleged that “We see FOU coming to the front of port gate, they come here regularly to patrol, before now they told us that FOU is only going to be at 40 meters away from the port, but right now they have started patrolling the port”

“They stay in front of National, Hanover, PTML and they also stay on the Liverpool bridge”

“Already, if you go to the Area B, we have three section of Customs, we have the FOU, strike force and surveillance, when you get to Mile 2, they are also there and we also have Standards Organisation of Nigeria along with them, they said they are patrolling team”

“They usually come in everyday, but mostly they come around on Saturdays, the last time they came to National, there was a fracas between them and the area boys”

“Whenever they come to the port, they stop containers, when they get to where cars are being offloaded, they would stop the offloading”

“They seize vehicles in front of the Customs long room, at the port gate, they will tell you that they are checking documents, sometimes they threaten to take you to their office, that is if you don’t parley with them and give them money”

Efforts to get the spokesman of FOU Zone A, Mr Jerry Attah to respond to the development proved abortive. When message was sent to him, he promised to revert back but he never did.

‘Will revert back later please, we are in a function” he said

Meanwhile, the spokesman for the Tin Can Command, Mr Uche Ejesieme said he was not aware of the patrol of FOU at Tin Can Port.

Ejesieme however said that whatever assignment the FOU unit was carrying out at the Tin Can port was definitely to complement efforts of the command. He urged compliant importers and licensed customs agents not to be troubled by their presence.

Speaking, he said “I am just hearing this for the first time and as a matter of fact, nobody has brought it to our notice”

“However, compliant traders should not anticipate calamity for the mere fact that FOU or strike force officers are patrolling the area”

“They are just complimenting the effort of the resident officers and as such, ought not to be a challenge, particularly, as I said earlier, for compliant traders”