Clearing Agents Raise Fresh Alarm Over Alleged Cargo Blockages, Extortion by Maritime Police

A group of Concerned Licensed Customs Agents and Stakeholders have sent an urgent SOS letter to the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) National President and members of the National Executive Committee (NECOM), raising the alarm over alleged systematic extortion and unlawful interference by officers of the Maritime Police Command in the cargo clearance process at Nigerian seaports.

A licensed customs agent and former Western Zone Coordinator of ANLCA, Sir Dr. John A. Ofobike who signed the open letter dated May 6, 2026, and addressed to ANLCA’s national secretariat in Amuwo Odofin, Lagos, alleged that Maritime Police officers have, for several months, been arbitrarily detaining consignments that have already been fully processed and cleared by the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), subjecting importers and their agents to prolonged delays and outright monetary demands before containers are released.

“Goods backed by valid Single Goods Declaration [SGD], duty payment receipts, and Customs Release Orders are being forcefully stopped either at the point of Terminal Delivery Order [TDO] processing, at shipping companies, or at bonded terminals”

“Members were subjected to hours and sometimes days of unwarranted detention of already cleared goods, repeated demands for documentation verification, and outright monetary demands before containers are released from these illegal blockages” he alleged

The former two-time chairman of the ANLCA Apapa chapter warned that the situation was in clear violation of the Federal Government’s 48-hour cargo clearance directive and the statutory mandate of the NCS as the lead agency at Nigerian ports.

Ofobike catalogued the consequences of the alleged conduct, noting that demurrage and storage charges accumulate daily, running into millions of naira borne unjustly by importers and agents. He also warned that small and medium-scale importers were being driven out of business by the avoidable costs and delays, while the practice was fast becoming an institutionalised corruption racket shielded by the phrase “investigation activity for fraud.”

“What should be a security procedure has become a tool for personal enrichment,” he stated, adding that the practice directly undermines the Federal Government’s Ease of Doing Business policy and discourages both local and foreign investment in trade.

In his appeal to ANLCA NECOM, Ofobike called on the association to engage the Inspector General of Police and the Assistant Inspector General (AIG) of the Maritime Command to demand an immediate halt to the interference.

He also urged ANLCA to push for a clear delineation of operational duties between the NCS and the Maritime Police, in line with the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023 and the Police Act 2020, and to constitute a joint task force with NCS, the Police, and port stakeholders to investigate and discipline erring officers.

He further requested that ANLCA publicly condemn the practice and formally communicate its position to the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy and the National Assembly Committees on Customs and Police Affairs.

“The constitutional duty of the Maritime Police is to protect port infrastructure and maintain security, not to obstruct legitimate commerce or duplicate the functions of the Nigeria Customs Service,”

“If this is not addressed immediately, it will cripple port operations, increase the cost of goods for ordinary Nigerians, and erode confidence in Nigeria’s trade environment” he said

Ofobike, who indicated that documented evidence, records, and witness testimonies were available to support the petition, said the open letter was written with a heavy heart and as a last resort.