The Nigeria Customs Services (NCS), Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) command, shut two cargo warehouses at the airport, but explained that its actions were based on fact that the facilities were being used to evade duty.
The warehouses are: Skyways Aviation Handling Company Limited (SAHCOL) and the Nigerian Aviation Handling Company (NAHCO).
The Nigeria Customs Services (NCS), Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) command, shut two cargo warehouses at the airport, but explained that its actions were based on fact that the facilities were being used to evade duty.
The warehouses are: Skyways Aviation Handling Company Limited (SAHCOL) and the Nigerian Aviation Handling Company (NAHCO).
But the Murtala Muhammed Internal Airport chapter chairman of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA); Mr Dada Livinus Agabuzo cautioned against long closure of the warehouses, saying that it will affect cargo flight into Nigeria.
“If it goes on for more that this week, we will have to advise the airlines to stop bringing cargoes to Lagos”, he warned.
Giving an insight into the development, the Public Relations Officer of the command, Mrs Thelma Williams,said that the Comptroller General of Customs, Alhaji Dikko Abdullahi, approved the closure for the inability of the warehouses to explain the exit of goods without proper documentation.
“Other reasons also include inability to produce customs release documentation and evidence of payment of import duty and other statutory charges by the companies.
“This is a follow up to series of meetings between the Customs Area Comptroller Mohammed Umar with all stakeholders, including cargo agents and freight forwarders association, “ she said.
Williams said the command acted on the approval of the Comptroller General, in line with the statutory powers conferred on the Nigeria Customs Service.
She noted that other reasons for the closure included: non-compliance with Customs procedure and the attendant loss of revenue accruable to the Federal Government of Nigeria, as well as its National Security implications.
“The refusal of the companies to comply has brought about un-conducive working environment in these warehouses.
“This militates against officers and men of the command discharging their statutory duties effectively,” she said.
The ANLCA chairman informed our correspondent that the bone of contention is the missing unutilized airway bills that the duo of NAHCO and SAHCOL have not been able to account for. According to him, the two cargo handlers are expected to account for the missing airway bills, adding that this is what the Customs is investigating and that this is why the two warehouses were shut.
Head, Corporate Communications, SAHCOL, also Mr Basil Agboarumi, confirmed the closure.
He said: “No doubt that we are custodians of the warehouse, no goods can move out of our warehouse without the approval of the Customs”.
“Discussions are going on between the handling companies, custom licensed agents and the Customs,” he said.
Similarly, the head, Corporate Communications of NAHCO, Mr Adesanya Onayoade, confirmed that the Customs has temporarily closed the customs bonded warehouse.
Onayoade said that the closure was to enable a sanitisation exercise that would ultimately improve service delivery and block all revenue leakages.
Discussion about this post