A civic group under the banner of the Citizens WhistleBlowers Coalition (CWC) has petitioned the National Assembly, accusing shipping giant Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) of alleged N3 Trillion financial misconduct, regulatory violations, and deliberate subversion of Nigeria’s legal authority.

In a petition to the Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Public Petitions, a copy of which was obtained by The Guardian, the whistleblower group detailed years of complaints from importers, clearing agents, and freight forwarders who claim to have suffered massive financial losses due to MSC’s ‘unfair shipping practices’.

The document is titled ‘Petition against Mediterranean Shipping Company Nig. Ltd and Mediterranean Shipping Company S.A, Geneva for delay in delivery of the shipments, arbitrary, inconsistent and opaque charges, illegal detention of shipments, extortion, unfair practices and tax evasion’.

Dated January 27, 2025 and signed by CWC Programme Officer, Investigations, Nafiu Ibrahim; Project Officer, Government Liaison, Ella Susan as well as Project Officer, Socio Economic Rights, Obi Nwakanma, they lamented that businesses are reportedly being crippled by a non-refundable container deposits required by the shipping company.

Specifically, they estimate that over N3 trillion remains unrefunded, accusing the company of exploiting its dominant market position to withhold funds and delay trade operations.

“MSC engaged in various unfair practices which caused harm and reputational damage to interglobal Technologies Limited. For the avoidance of doubt, Interglobal Technologies Limited, is a victim of arbitrary, inconsistent and opaque charges, illegal detention of shipments, extortion, and unfair practices viz: delay in delivery of the shipments; arbitrary, inconsistent and opaque charges; Illegal detention and blockage of the shipment in bill of lading no. MEDUQRO70952; extortion and payment under duress; and unfair shipping practices and infractions of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act 2018.

“The total sum eventually extorted from Interglobal Technologies Limited by MSC was N49,831,137.50 (Forty-Nine Million Eight Hundred and Thirty-One Thousand One Hundred and Thirty-Seven Naira Fifty Kobo). Interglobal Technologies Limited was forced to pay this sum under duress in order to secure the release of the shipments in bill of lading No. MEDUQRO70952.

“The Citizens Whistleblowers Coalition noted that the aforementioned facts raise serious issues of unfair shipping practices by MSC.

“We believe that these sharp and unwholesome practices have been going on for years to the detriment of importers in particular and Nigerians at large. MSC’s unfair practices have a way of skyrocketing the prices of goods and services in Nigeria,” the statement reads.

While calling on the legislative body to intervene with a view to calling the firm to order, the petitioners stressed that this would ‘save Nigerian business men and women from this regime of extortion and arbitrary charges:.

They also called for a public hearing to know the extent of the malpractice and where necessary impose sanctions.

“We pray the House to investigate the turnover of MSC in Nigeria as one of their biggest markets in Africa, since their global turnover is over €80 billion worldwide, and to confirm the annual taxes being remitted to the Nigerian Government,” the petition reads.

The group also flagged violations of multiple Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act provisions, including unfair pricing (Section 127), lack of pricing transparency (Section 115), and coercive business tactics (Section 124).

Furthermore, the petition argues that MSC’s conduct amounts to economic sabotage, adding that “Nigeria’s maritime sector is critical to trade and development. For a foreign company to operate with this level of impunity—detaining goods, levying illegal charges, and dodging taxes—is unacceptable,”

They referenced protests and boycott threats from key trade groups such as the Nigerian Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) and the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) over unrefunded container deposits and demurrage fraud.

In a chat with reporters, Spokesperson of the group, Karl Emeka accused the firm of imposing excessive, inconsistent, and opaque fees on Nigerian importers, in breach of Section 125 of the FCCPC Act, which mandates transparency and price stability in all business transactions.

According to him, despite being summoned by the House for a public hearing, MSC has so far failed to appear or issue a formal response, prompting lawmakers to reschedule the session for July 2 and threaten compulsory appearance if the company continues to disregard parliamentary oversight.