Even as Nigeria's economy battles to get out of recession, fresh indications have emerged that clearing agents and freight forwarders may have diverted their attention to smuggling of vehicles through Seme and Idiroko border.
Investigation carried out by Shipping Position Daily last week revealed that due to the low level of activities at the port, coupled with the effect of automotive policy of the government which has cut down importation of fairly-used vehicles by about 70 per cent, the agents diverted their attention to the land borders.
At the land borders, once a vehicle is escorted into Nigerian soil, it is smuggled.
Speaking with our correspondent, a customs broker (names withheld) confirmed that his license has since been moved to Seme/Idiroko borders because it is more lucrative to work at the border.
Explaining the rationale behind the twist, he said that a 2014 vehicle could pay as high as N3.4million duty at the seaports ports, while at Seme or Idiroko borders, the same car would pay only N350,000
He said, "I am one of them, I have gone to idiroko to start hustling, I cannot sit and allow the economic recession to cripple my finances. I just joined them this year, but many of my colleagues have transferred their licenses since President Jonathan introduced the auto policy"
"At the border, customs do not have access to the manifest of all the cars coming from Cotonou, if what is going on at the border could be going on at the seaport, the port would not be dry"
"Over there, we pay cheaper tariffs than the port, the value customs is using is not the same at the port" he said.
Also confirming the new trend to our correspondent, a member of the Association of Nigeria Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) at PTML Chapter, Mr. Gani Adeola accused Federal Government of deliberately relaxing the duty on cars at the land borders to favour her neighbouring country, while Nigerian citizens continue to suffer.
According to him, "if you carry a 2016 jeep at Seme border, you would pay N500,000, by the time the same car gets to the seaport, they would ask you to pay N7million duty and N7million levy, by the time you calculate it all, your total duty will be up to N18million, meanwhile the cars are going to same market" he said.
He blamed the former CG of Customs, Abdullahi Dikko for the trend, saying that the auto policy was invoked because Dikko promised Jonathan that he could generate N1trillion as revenue.
Also speaking with our correspondent, a member of National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF); Mr. Simeon Olua confirmed that the valuation tables of customs at the RoRo terminals are usually empty now as a result of agents abandoning the port due to high tariff.
Olua said, "if you go to Cotonou, they have what we call 'flat rate' where vehicles of 2001 or 2016 all pay equal rates"
"This will enable the government to wipe out old and dilapidated vehicles, when you have a vehicle manufactured in 2002 and you paid N8000 and you have the one of 2016 and you pay N8000, definitely you will not want to go for 2002 cars again"
"At the border, if customs ask you to pay N100, 000 and you pay it, there is no stress, you will get to the border and drive away" he said.
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