Officers of the Port Police Command on last week laid siege to Duncan Bonded Terminal located within the Tin-can Island Port Complex in Lagos.
No fewer than 15 police officers were sighted at the entrance to the premises last Wednesday standing guard and preventing people, including port users wishing to transact business from entering the terminal.
Responding to our enquires on the siege, Port Police Commissioner, Hillary Opara, explained that the presence of the police officers was as a result of a directive from the legal department of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) that they should mianain presence at the terminal. .
According to Opara, there is a dispute over the ownership of the facility and the presence of the officers was to ensure that the properties in the terminal were not vandalised.
Shipping Position Weekly correspondence however learnt that trouble stated last week when a company simply identified as Landwood Nigeria Limited allegedly in connivance with the Estate Manager of Tin-can Island Port of the NPA and some top management staff, told the Port Police Commissioner that some people were occupying the property in question illegally.
A Police source confirmed that the Police Commissioner had released some officers to dislodge occupants including officials of NPA, Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), staff of Duncan, and others from the facility.
But unknown to the Police Chief, the ownership of the terminal has been in dispute and the case has been in court in the last couple of years.
However, our correspondnet canfirmed tha apparently emabarased by the development, the management of NPA summoned a meeting over the issue. He meeitng which held last Friday was however on as at the time of going to the press.
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