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Tag: Tincan Island Port

  • ‘How we discovered 1,570 rifles illegally imported’

    A Federal High Court, Lagos heard yesterday how 1,570 rifles were illegally imported into the country by some businessmen through the Tincan Island Port, Lagos.

    A Deputy Superintendent of Customs, Nwaiwu Chibuzor Ginikanwa, made the disclosure before Justice Saliu Saidu.

    Ginikanwa, who is with the Intelligence unit, Tincan Island Command, was testifying as a prosecution witness in the trial of Ayogu Great James, Ifeuwa Moses Christ and a company, Great James Oil and Gas Limited.

    The defendants are facing trial for alleged importation of 1,570 pump action rifles into the country.

    Led in evidence by the prosecutor, Mr. Julius Ajakaiye, a deputy director with the Federal Ministry of Justice, Ginikanwa said she was on normal routine surveillance on September 6, 2017 at the Tincan Island Container Port, Lagos with the list of containers to be positioned for examination on that day.

    She said one of the containers, measuring 1by 20 feet, was among those to be examined.

    The witness said on her way to inspect the containers, an agent, Ndubuisi, approached her and gave her a photocopy of a Bill of Laden.

    She said after inspecting the first container belonging to another person, she proceeded to carry out inspection on the container whose Bill of Laden Ndubuisi had given her.

    Ginikanwa said while approaching the container, she saw two agents standing by the container already opened.

    “I noticed some cartons wrapped in sacks, with one of the cartons turned open.

    “On closer look, I saw guns.

    “Immediately the two agents, Ikechukwu Okafor and Ndubuisi realised that I had seen the guns in the sacks, they quickly locked the container and ran away.”

    She said she quickly alerted her boss, Deputy Comptroller of Customs Bomoi Sulaimon, who in turn, quickly drafted other operatives to join her at the terminal to secure the container.

    Ginikanwa said her boss also contacted Deputy Comptroller Enforcement Nnandi Vera.

    Read also: Police recover 13 AK-47 rifles, others in Kebbi

    The witness said she and the reinforcement from her unit were at the terminal until the arrival of the Enforcement Unit, who took the container away for 100 per cent physical examination.

    “When I got back to the office on that day, I received a call from a telephone number 08026797600 and the person who called was begging me in Igbo language to help secure the release of the container.”

    The witness told the court that further investigation showed that the caller was Emeka Festus.

    At that stage, Ajakaiye tendered the certified true copy of the Bill of Laden given to Ginikanwa by Ndubuisi and it was admitted in evidence.

    The defence did not oppose its admissibility.

    Justice Saidu adjourned further hearing in the matter till January 16 and 24.

  • How we discovered 1,570 rifles illegally imported into the country, by NCS

    A Federal High Court, Lagos heard on Thursday how 1,570 rifles were illegally imported into the country by some business men through the Tincan Island Port, Lagos.

    A Deputy Superintendent of Customs, Nwaiwu Chibuzor Ginikanwa,  made the disclosure before Justice  Saliu Saidu.

    Ginikanwa, who is with the Intelligence unit, Tincan Island Command,  was testifying  as a prosecution witness in the trial of Ayogu Great James, Ifeuwa Moses Christ and a company, Great James Oil and Gas Limited.

    The defendants are facing trial for alleged importion of 1570 pump action rifles  into the country.

    Led in evidence by the prosecutor, Mr. Julius Ajakaiye, a Deputy Director with the Federal Ministry of Justice,  Ginikanwa said she was on normal routine surveillance on September 6, 2017 at the Tincan Island Container Port, Lagos with  the list of containers to be positioned for examination on that day.

    She said one of the containers, measuring 1by 20 feet, was among those to be examined.

    The witness said that on her way to inspect the containers, an agent by name, Ndubuisi approached her and gave her a photocopy of a Bill of Laden.

    She said  after inspecting the first container belonging to another person, she proceeded to carry out inspection on the container which Ndubuisi has given her the Bill of Laden.

    Ginikanwa said while approaching the container, she saw two agents standing by the container and already opened.

    “I noticed some cartons rapped in sacks with one of the cartons turned open.

    “On  closer look, I saw guns.

    “Immediately the two agents, Ikechukwu Okafor  and Ndubuisi realised that I had seen the guns in the sacks, they quickly locked the container and ran away”.

    Ginikanwa said she quickly alerted her boss, Deputy Comptroller of Customs, Bomoi Sulaimon, who in turn, quickly drafted other operatives to join her at the terminal to secure the container.

    She said  her boss also contacted Deputy Comptroller Enforcement, Nnandi Vera.

    The witness said she and the reinforcement from her unit were at the terminal until the arrival of the Enforcement Unit who took the container away for 100 percent physical examination.

    “When I got back to the office on that day, I received a call from a telephone number 08026797600 and the person who called was begging me in Ibo language to help secure the release of the container.”

    The witness told the court that further investigation  into the call line revealed the caller to be one Emeka Festus.

    At this stage, the prosecutor,  Ajakaiye tendered the certified true copy of the Bill of Laden given to Ginikanwa by Ndubuisi and it was admitted in evidence.

    The defence did not opposed to its admissibility.

    Justice Saidu has adjourned further hearing in the matter till January 16 and 24, 2019.

    The court on Wednesday refused the bail applications filed by the alleged gun runners, Ayogu Great James and  Ifeuwa Moses Christ.

    The defendants alongside a company, Great James Oil and Gas Limited, located at Number 1, Warehouse Road, Apapa, Lagos    were first arraigned before the court on October 11  by the office of the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF).

    In a charge marked FHC/L/339c/18, the defendants were  alleged to have uttered an forged  Bill of Laden and Customs Form M, which they used in smuggling the pump action rifles into the country. During their arraignment, they were slammed with the eight counts charge bordering on conspiracy, illegal importation of firearms and forgery and uttering of Customs’ import documents.

    The prosecutor alleged that  in a bid to illegally and  unlawfully bring in the weapons, the defendants uttered and forged Bill of lading, issued in July 28, 2017, to read Guandong, China, instead of Istanbul, Turkey, which was written on the conveying container.

    They were also alleged to have uttered Form M (application for Import) and Pre-Arrival Assessment Report (PAAR), issued in August 28, 2017, with number MF 20170080364 and CN 20170768490/001, respectively, to read Guandong, China instead of Istanbul, Turkey, as country of origin. The defendants were also alleged to have uttered a forged bill of lading numbered ISB0281398, issued in July 28, 2017, to read 230 packages of wash hand basin and W/C, as the content in the container used in shipping in the illegal firearms.

    The offences according to the prosecutor, Mr. Julius Ajakaiye  are contrary to and punishable under Section 3(6), 1(14)(a), 1(14)(a)(i), 1(2)(c) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act Cap. M17, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004. They all pleaded not guilty to the charge.

  • Customs intercepts arms, ammunition at Lagos port

    Customs intercepts arms, ammunition at Lagos port

    The Nigeria Customs Service, (NCS), Tin-Can Island command, Tuesday intercepted arms and ammunitions concealed in a container and arrested a suspect.

    Speaking while handing over the contraband cargoes, NCS Area Comptroller, Mr. Yusuf Bashar said that the healthy collaboration amongst security agencies working in the command led to the interception.

    Bashar also said that the Customs will continue to synergise with all relevant government agencies to ensure the security and safety of the ports and border stations.

    The seized items included 980 rounds of live 9mm ammunitions, one Taurus pistol with number THX43606.

    Others included military ware, a pair of black boot, a military face cap, a pair of camouflage hand gloves and an army coloured plastic container.

    He added that the contents of the box were prohibited items not to be imported by any individual adding that these are material that can only be imported by the Army.

    “We believe that there must a sinister reason for the importation of the prohibited materials. There is a network of moving and distributing these arms and ammunition.”

    He said that the cargo was shipped from the United States were discovered in a one by forty foot container with number crhu452745/2.

    The suspect, the CAC said, was with the Directorate of the State Security Service ( DSSS) for further investigation.

    Meanwhile, the command generated a total of the N24.8billion last month of January, surpassing the figure of N20billion in January, 2015.

  • 2016 economic prospect not good, says LCCI

    2016 economic prospect not good, says LCCI

    Nigeria’s foremost private sector business association, the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), has painted an admixture of a cautious optimism for the nation’s economy on the one hand, and a bleak outlook on the other for next year.

    While it posits that the N300billion projected funding of the Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (MSMEs) by the commercial banks would boost lending to the sector, grow agriculture and create employment as well as increase the chances of the countries foreign exchange earnings in non oil export, its thoughts on declining global oil prices and its consequence on government’s revenue, as well as firms honouring contractual obligations to their financiers, were bleak, suggesting that the economy may yet tread a turbulent trajectory in 2016.

    LCCI’s Director-General, Muda Yusuf, in a statement yesterday,  entitled,  Economic and Business Review in 2015 and Perspective for 2016, said: “The targeted N300 billion by the Nigerian banks to boost lending to Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs) and the agriculture sector in 2016 will boost SMEs development and employment and thus increase,” but nonetheless observed that the declining international spot oil price and its fallout will create unease for the economy in the coming year.

    As he put it: “With the declining trend of global oil price and its attendant impact on government revenue and foreign reserves, general business outlook will remain tense. Implications on cost of and access to credit will be undesirable. Businesses, especially those with high foreign exchange exposure, will continue to face challenges of meeting foreign obligations to suppliers and partners,” stressing that “this will also impact contractual trust and integrity.”

    He had no kind words for the Insurance sector either. In his words: “The insurance industry will remain largely underpenetrated with insurance density at about 0.225 per cent. Therefore, significant change in this industry with respect to growth and penetration remains bleak even as the sector is still highly fragmented,” he stated, pointing out that the declining Gross Domestic Product (GDP)  is also expected to strain, to a large extend, the performance of this industry.

    On the much trumpeted subsidy removal, Yusuf, argued that subsidy arrears payment and end of subsidy regime, would likely result in improved market efficiency and profitability as downstream sector players explore pricing dynamics to boost investment. The expected deregulation in the downstream sub-sector, in his view, “will be a game changer”.

    He warned of the likelihood of default across the business spectrum in 2016 due to cash flow hic-ups. “Risk of default in financial obligations in both public and private sectors will be high as macro-economic conditions and cash flow, remain tight,” Yusuf said.

    The LCCI chief expressed optimism that in 2016, GDP growth is expected to rebound ( as against its decline in the 3rd quarter of 2015, when it dropped to 2.84 per cent ), to about 3.5 per cent, if, as he put it, “the right mix of fiscal and monetary policies are put in place to stimulate the economy and attract domestic and foreign investments.” He said while the recovery is expected to be driven by increase in government expenditure, the growth in oil sector may be constrained still by low price and investment drive.

    He said the exchange rate volatility is expected to persist fuelling high inflation of about 10-11 per cent, stating however that correction towards Real Effective Exchange Rate (REER) in the form of exchange rate adjustment is likely in the first quarter of  2016, suggesting that this will reduce the pressure on external reserves.

    Yusuf drew attention to the deplorable state of access roads to the Lagos Ports, saying the subsisting situation has resulted in negative contribution to business as it has lead to congestion at the ports resulting from the delay in the evacuation of cargo, high demurrage paid by importers to Terminal Operators and Shipping Companies as a result of delays [which were not their own making] in the clearance and evacuation of cargo in the ports and high cost of transportation for evacuating cargo, among other challenges,

    He urged the Federal Government to fix these roads as a matter of  urgency, in addition to the completion of the Trailer Park within the vicinity of  the Tincan Island Port.