Operators in the maritime sector have called on the authorities to launch wide-ranging probe of the 661 pump-action riffles recently seized by the Federal Operations Unit of the Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, at Mile 2 area on the Apapa-Oshodi expressway.
Two junior officers, Abdullahi I, with service number 44483 ASC, and Odiba Haruna Inah, with service number 133386, who allegedly cleared the ammunition laden container at the Apapa port, Lagos State, are presently on the run, and have been declared wanted.
However, National President of the Association of Nigeria Licensed Customs Agents, ANLCA, Prince Olayiwola has called on the investigative team to cast their net wide, adding that senior officers responsible for releasing and examination at the Lagos port were culpable in the case.
On his part, according to Vanguard, Deputy National President of the National Council of Managing Directors of Licensed Customs Agents, NCMDLCA, Uchu Block, advocated the return to Pre-shipment inspection of cargoes at the port of import before the goods are shipped to the country.
“With the way we are operating the ports in this country, I tell you the kind of ammunition are entering the country, that one they see is just small. With what has happened, who are you going to hold? Is it the importer of the container who is almost of the time invisible, the agent that does not know the content of the container?
“We need those scanners that will detect all these things, even when there are scanners, corruption has so made it that if you have fore-knowledge of the content of the container, you will ask for your consignment to go for 100 percent examination and all you need do is to give the Customs money and such consignments leave the port no matter what is in it,” Block told the paper.
