About 6,386 imported containers are currently at various government agencies at Lagos port terminals under detention orders.
The containers accumulate about N472.5 million in daily demurrage. This comes as stakeholders have fingered the Maritime Police for the detention of cleared cargoes.
According to findings, a 40ft container attracts a daily demurrage fee of N120,000, while a 20ft container incurs N80,000.
Shipping companies, terminal operators and other port users yesterday lamented incessant interference in cargo clearance processes and placement of detention orders on duly-cleared import containers, thereby barring their exit from the port terminals.
They expressed their grievance at a workshop on the role of the Nigerian Police in port administration. It was organised by the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) in collaboration with the Nigeria Police Maritime Police Command in Apapa.
Representative of Five Star Logistics Yard, Nnanna Kenneth, disclosed that a total of 6,386 import units/cargos are currently remaining under various forms of government agency restrictions and detention at the Five Star Logistics facility – a situation that continues to disrupt cargo flow and escalate disputes between clearing agents and terminal operators.
Presenting the breakdown, Kenneth stated that the Nigeria Police Maritime Command accounts for the largest number, with 2,000 containers blocked, followed by the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), which placed restrictions on 1,500 units.
He said the Department of State Services (DSS) has blocked 801 containers; the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), 1,162 containers, while the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has blocked 639 containers. The Nigerian Agricultural Quarantine Service has restricted 284 units.
Kenneth explained that the blockage, often triggered by written directives from the agencies, automatically halts the movement of all container units tied to a particular bill of lading.
He said in many cases, a single agency letter can immobilise between 15 and 20 containers at once, restricting delivery timelines for importers and freight agents.
The Deputy Manager, Imports, Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) Nigeria Limited, Dimeji Gbadebo, identified maritime police investigations as a major source of delay, citing frequent stop-letters and long periods of container detention, sometimes stretching into weeks or months, with little or no feedback on the outcome of inquiries.
Gbadebo drew comparisons with global and regional ports, noting that Singapore completes clearance processes within 24 hours, while neighbouring Lomé operates a seamless seven-day system.
In contrast, he lamented, Nigeria struggles to achieve timely clearance even within 21 days.
He said the prolonged delays, often caused by extended investigations and administrative bottlenecks, expose importers and agents to significant financial and operational setbacks.
On his part, the Executive Secretary/Chief Executive Officer, NSC, Dr Pius Akutah, lamented that several reports brought to the attention of the council by stakeholders, points to incessant interference in the cargo clearance processes and placement of detention orders on duly cleared cargoes, thereby barring its exit from the port terminals and intimidation of personnels of Shipping line agencies and terminals.
Akutah, who was represented by the Director of Regulatory Services Department, Margaret Ogbonnah, said that upon investigations carried out on the matter to ascertain the veracity of these claims, it was in most cases confirmed that these practices are carried out by various police formations without the knowledge of the Assistant Inspector General of Police.
