Illegal Ship Berthing: Customs CG; Alli Storms Snake Island, LADOL

Barring any last minute change in plans, the Comptroller General of Customs; Col Hameed Ali (rtd) is expected to storm Lagos today (Monday).
The visit to Lagos follows reported incidences of alleged illegalities going on at some Free Trade Zones in Lagos, especially as regards berthing of vessels‎, midstream discharge and the attendant revenue loss to Federal Government.
Shipping Position Daily gathered that since the incidences of illegal activities were reported in the media, the Customs boss has been under pressure by the Finance Ministry and the National Assembly.
From the itinerary of Alli’s visit sighted by our correspondent in Apapa last week, he is expected to pay special visits to Lagos Deep Offshore Logistic Base (LADOL) and Nigerdock Nigeria Limited at the Snake Island Integrated Free Zone.
‎It would be recalled that a foreign ship; MV Drago J had‎ in January 2016 sneaked into the Snake Island Free Zone to discharge cargoes at Nigerdock jetty, the Customs had however on suspecting compromise by some officers of the Tin Can Island Command, detained the ship.
Authoritative sources within the Nigeria Customs Service confirmed toShipping Position Daily that the vessel was supposed to berth at one of the conventional ports at the Tin Can Island for Customs officers and Nigerian Ports Authority officials as well as other government agencies to perform their statutory functions, after which it would be escorted to Nigerdock, but the ship, upon arrival proceeded to berth directly at the Free Trade Zone, allegedly to avoid payment of duty.
The Tin Can Island Customs Public Relations Officer; Mr. Chris Osunkwo however confirmed to our correspondent that the command was able to collect N2.5billion from the ship before it was eventually released. The vessel was carrying fabrication materials
Another incidence of illegal discharge was recorded at the Apapa Area Command in December 2015 where the Area Controller subsequently effected the CGC’s order to detain the consignment on a vessel; MV Torco Clairvaux.
Explaining the circumstances that led to the detention of the consignment, a source said that the ship; MV Torco Clairvaux, allegedly illegally berthed at LADOL Terminal on December 16, 2015, and when the CGC was informed about the vessel, he ordered that the vessel be seized, but that the order was not obeyed and the ship subsequently proceeded to discharge her cargo at the terminal.
Consequently, according to the source, Ali ordered the detention of the consignment over alleged non-adherence to directives.
Apparently disturbed by these incidences which have led to loss of billions of Naira in government revenue, the CGC is set to pay an on-the-spot visit to these free zones in order to have knowledge of what is really happening.
A reliable source told our correspondent late last week that “from his itinerary, he is expected to pay special visit to‎ Nigerdock at Snake Island and LADOL. He wants to come and see for himself everything we have been writing for him on paper”
“We would take him in a boat and explain to him all the process, so that next time we are giving him incident report he could understand” he said.