MISSING CONTAINERS: Firm Drags Customs, SON Before FG

A Nigerian Firm; Sanshek Nigeria Limited has petition the Federal Government through the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation over  alleged wrongful interception and detention of its containers at the Apapa port, Lagos.
The petitioner, a former Senator, who is also the Managing Director of Sanshek; Collins Udu expressed fears that two containers that were values at about N84Million and which were seized by the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) in 2009 may have been auctioned by the Nigeria Customs Service.

A Nigerian Firm; Sanshek Nigeria Limited has petition the Federal Government through the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation over  alleged wrongful interception and detention of its containers at the Apapa port, Lagos.
The petitioner, a former Senator, who is also the Managing Director of Sanshek; Collins Udu expressed fears that two containers that were values at about N84Million and which were seized by the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) in 2009 may have been auctioned by the Nigeria Customs Service.
The petitioner told media men in Abuja last weekend that the containers had motorcycle helmets as their contents, but lamented that they were seized by SON after all ports charges, including Custom duty, amounting to about N1.13Million had been paid.
“These containers were released by the Customs service after inspection with the appropriate duty and other auxiliary payments made.
“But on taking the containers out of the port, they were intercepted by the Standards Organisations of Nigeria at the gate on the basis that the helmets were unbranded.”
Showing a copy of the petition which is dated April 24, 2012, Udu faulted the claim by SON that the helmets were not branded, this according to him, is baseless as the ha are the approved JX branded helmets.
According to him, “assuming without conceding that the said containers were carrying substandard motorcycle helmets, neither SON nor the Customs reported the matter to the Nigerian Police for further investigation since such suspicion borders on crime, which the Nigerian Police can investigate under the law.
“SON was approbating by alleging, on one hand, that the goods were substandard, and at the same time, requesting for payment of guaranty deposit for the release of the containers.”