NAGAFF petitions Customs CG over undue witholding of 14 cars by Clarion bonded terminal

The 100% Compliance team of the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) has petitioned the management of Nigeria Customs Service over witholding of about 14 cars already cleared at the Clarion Shipping Terminal Ltd

The group alleged illegal conspiracy in withholding the 14 vehicles of its members.

In a statement signed by the National Chairman of the 100% compliance team, Tanko Ibrahim, some of the vehicles had been trapped at the terminal since July 2021 without definite reason despite having fully paid the appropriate duty and charges.

According to the statement, investigations revealed that 19 containers were allowed to go without paying the Demand Notice (DN) issued to them as well as not following due process.

It also noted that the unpaid assessments were over N8.5 million and the container diversion plot were hatched by Clarion Shipping Terminal and the consignee without the knowledge of the agency.

“It baffles our association on how terminal operators 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 for this stand that Clarion shipping terminals constitute an economic risk to the federal government” the statement read in part.

NAGAFF has however called on the intervention of the Comptroller General of the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) to prevail on the management of Clarion Shipping Terminal to release all the14 vehicles as well as cause a full-scale investigation to unravel the misdealings surrounding the 19 containers saga.

Listed below are the ‘C’ numbers of Demand Notices for reference.

C.102499 of 28/03/2018

C.101123 of 23/03/2018

C.101096 of 23/03/2018

C.101066 of 23/03/2018

C.101178 of 23/03/2018

C.101115 of 23/03/2018

C.101142 of 23/03/2018

C.102438 of 28/03/2018

C.102483 of 28/03/2018

C.102512 of 28/03/2018

C.101098 of 23/03/2018

C.102461 of 28/03/2018

C.102500 of 28/03/2018

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