Manages of the terminal had refused the containers entry for lack of documentation following the recent cases of importation of arms into the cointry.
The Customs agents and the terminal mamager had raised alarm following the abandonment of the consignment after they were refused entry.
The 11 containers with container numbers: MRKU459241-0, MRKU 404129-6, MSKU 036589-5, MRKU 371634-8, MSKU 822116-9, MSKU 061195-7, MSKU 990607-5, MSKU 377725-6, MSKU 944265-2, MSKU 122685-2, TCLU 505005-0 were said to have been brought to the Terminal on the night of Sunday 8th October, 2017 through a train and since appropriate manifest or documents of the containers were not made available they were denied access into the terminal. The 11 containers were stacked at the entrance of the terminal with unidentified documents or clearing agents.
Speaking in an interview harboursandport.com, Mr. Chinyere John Okoye, Chairman of National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders, NAGAFF Lilypond chapter, stated that 11 unidentified containers stacked at the entrance of Lilypond terminal is a great threat considering the present situation of the country in terms offensive import of arms and ammunitions into the country.
“When we came to work this morning, we saw these 11 containers stacked the entrance of our terminal. We asked questions on where these containers are coming from but we were unable to get details on where the containers were brought from and the contents of these containers. We are not accomplices in propagating crime, we want the government to look into this urgent issue” Okoye stated.
Similarly, Mr. Chucks Njemanze, the immediate past chairman of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents, ANLCA Lilypond chapter told said that they had nothing to do with the 11 containers. “We don’t know these containers are coming from and no one is giving us an answer as to where these containers were brought from. We gathered that the containers were brought on Sunday Night by a train on Sunday night. Probably they were denied access to the terminal leaving the containers unidentified at the entrance. We don’t know what are in these containers now that everyone is talking about arms. These containers are sealed with no available documents or any clearing agent coming to stand in for it” he said.
Spokesman of APM Terminal, Mr. Austin Fitcher, was quoted to have confirmed that the 11 containers were actually cleared and released from Apapa port and was moved by train with the buy in of owners of the containers to Lilypond.
Mr. Fitcher was further quoted to have said that the agreement with owners of the containers was that they would have trucks waiting to take delivery of the containers at Lilypond.
He was further quoted to have said that neither the owners nor trucks were seen and since the train could not wait indefinitely, the boxes had to be dropped there.
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