For allegedly denying him the use of its security gate, the Customs Area Controller in charge of Apapa Area 1 command, Mr. Charles Edike allegedly ordered his officers to arrest and lock up nine staff of the Apapa Bulk Terminal Limited (ABTL).
For allegedly denying him the use of its security gate, the Customs Area Controller in charge of Apapa Area 1 command, Mr. Charles Edike allegedly ordered his officers to arrest and lock up nine staff of the Apapa Bulk Terminal Limited (ABTL).
The ugly incident occurred penultimate Thursday at the Apapa port when the Customs Area Controller was reportedly denied usage of the gate, owing to a letter purportedly written by the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) concerning the use of the gate to non-essential staff of ABTL. The NIMASA letter cited violation of the ISPS code.
After, he was denied use of the gate, the customs boss allegedly directed about 15 heavily armed customs officers to invade the terminal, they allegedly beat up the chief security officer of ABTL who thereafter took to his heels.
Shipping Position Daily gathered that the arrested personnel of ABTL were locked up for 24 hours for refusing the customs boss passage through the terminal.
Sources confirmed that the customs officers also vandalized some offices at the terminal and allegedly carted away huge sum of money belonging to the terminal operator.
While confirming the ordeal at a meeting in Lagos last week, the Managing Director of ABTL; Captain Bashir Mohammed said that trouble had started when the NIMASA issued a warning to the concessionaire to stop allowing Customs, Immigration and others from using its facility as thoroughfare, in violation of the ISPS Code.
"Because of the gridlock in Apapa, all the customs, immigration and others use our terminal because it takes you out to dockyard road, it takes about two hours off the traffic for you on a good day"
"On this faithful day, the CAC came and it coincided with a letter, an ultimatum given by NIMASA that they have heard that we are using the road as a thoroughfare"
"So the CAC arrived, normally we have been allowing him, so the security operatives just told him that he may not be allowed through next time due to the new directive, before you know it, 15 customs officers carrying guns stormed this terminal and arrested nine people and locked them up for 24 hours"
"They damaged the office of the security manager and removed all the ceilings to put tear gas in them in case he was stupid enough to go and hide inside the ceiling, if the guy was around he would have been killed, right now as I talk, nothing has happened to the CAC" Capt. Bashir lamented.
The master mariner expressed shock at the impunity in the Nigeria Customs Service, even as he condemned a recent confrontation between a customs officer and operatives of the Lagos State Traffic Management Agency (LASTMA)
"Impunity reigns in customs, it happened with the LASTMA and the Deputy Comptroller have been sent to Borno State, impunity should not be encouraged, there are rules and laws in this country"
"They collected bale money, customs collected bales money" Capt. Bashir alleged.
However, while speaking with Shipping Position Daily on the development, the public relation officer of the Apapa Customs Command, Mr. Emmanuel Ekpa refused to comment. He said he would not want the matter resurrected.
Even though he refused to volunteer further details, Ekpa claimed that the confrontation took place at the terminal about three weeks ago but that it has since been resolved.
"I don't want to resurrect the whole issue because it has been resolved"
"I cannot speak, I don't want to comment on that issue, it was an internal something which the Controller has forgiven them"
"I don't want to talk on it except the Controller himself wants to comment on it, if you had called me a week after the event happened, it could have been understandable, but the matter has been resolved, so for me to answer you now the issue will come up again" Ekpa stated.
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