The National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) have petitioned the Assistant Inspector General of Police in charge of Marine Police Headquarters, AIG Musa Yusuf Garba over the activities by men and officers of Zone 2 Police Department who are fond of intercepting and arresting containers, despite duly processed and exited by the Nigeria Customs Service and other agencies at the port
The letter titled “A CASE OF INCESSANT AND INDISCRIMINATE INTERCEPTION AND SUBSEQUENT ARREST OF CONTAINERS BY OFFICERS AND MEN OF ZONE 2 POLICE HEADQUARTERS, ONIKAN LAGOS”, dated 7th March, 2025, and duely signed by Hon. Ibrahim Tanko, National Coordinator, 100% Compliance Team of NAGAFF, and copied to other sister agencies, beckon on AIG Musa Yusuf Garba to call officers of Zone 2 Headquarters, Onikan to order to stop the indiscriminate extortion and arrest of containers of their members carrying out their legitimate activities.
According to the letter, NAGAFF had in the past kicked against and protested at such practice where this Zone 2 men and officers harass agents, intercept and arrest containers.
In his statement, “Sir, we want to respectively inform you that these practices which we are on the firm believe that it is not only illegal but also clogging and impeding the timely clearance of containers from the port. We therefore humbly implore you to use your good office and liaise or collaborate with AIG Zone 2 to see that this practice is brought to an end as soon as practicable.
“Moreover,, we wish to inform you that we were assured by the then AIG Augustina Ogbodo, now at Alagbon, during one of our interactions with her that there exists a circular which bars any other police departments other than Marine Police from interfering and/or dabbling into any issue relating to the marine business except they are called to intervene or a petition sent to them.
“Sir, we want to respectively ask, howbeit rhetorically, what are the men and officers of Zone 2, Onikan looking for in the containers your men and officers has cleared from the port? We are humbly appealing to you to urgently intervene as our members are often extorted to the tune of One Million Naira (#1,000,000) whilst our containers are intercepted and arrested by Zone 2 men and officers.
“In view of the above, we respectfully urge you to call Zone 2 officers and men to order and save the port from an imminent restiveness that may paralyze business activities and further cause economic loss to government revenue. We may have no option than to go on protest which may result in possible shutdown of the seaports” the letter concluded.
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