Esther Oritse
Lagos — The leadership of the Association of Maritime Transport Owners (AMATO) has condemned the actions of certain importers who intentionally under-declare the contents of their containers, leading to the seizure of trucks owned by their members.
In an interview with Sweetcrudereports, Mr. Remi Ogungbemi, the President of AMATO, expressed concern over the growing number of trucks being impounded by the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), which he said currently holds over 100 trucks for allegedly transporting contraband or under-declared goods.
While acknowledging the crucial role of importers in the trade value chain, Ogungbemi emphasized that without them, transporters would not have work. He noted, however, that the actions of some unscrupulous importers are putting truckers at significant risk.
“Importers play a vital role in the economy because without them, there would be no transporters. They make it possible for us to feed our families and support our livelihoods. However, it’s unfortunate that some of them deliberately under-declare or misrepresent the contents of their containers,” Ogungbemi said.
He further explained that when containers arrive at the port, some importers fail to disclose the true contents. As a result, once the containers are loaded onto trucks, Customs often seizes the vehicles, arrests the drivers, and impounds the trucks, even though the transporters had no knowledge of the infractions.
“This situation is devastating. Many of our members are suffering—some have died, others are sinking into debt or suffering health problems such as strokes and heart attacks. Over 100 of our trucks are currently impounded at Customs commands across Nigeria. Some have been auctioned off, while others are still stuck in limbo,” Ogungbemi lamented.
While acknowledging that the NCS is fulfilling its mandate to prevent the importation of illegal or harmful goods, Ogungbemi proposed that Customs target the ships that carry these containers rather than penalizing truckers who are simply transporting the goods.
“I don’t place all the blame on Customs. They are just doing their job to ensure that illegal goods don’t enter Nigeria, especially those that could harm local industries. However, we, the transporters, have no knowledge of what is in the containers. We are not involved in the importation process. The law allows Customs to seize goods, but I suggest they focus on the ships carrying these containers, before the goods are even loaded onto our trucks,” he said.
Ogungbemi pointed out that even shipping companies rely on “safe-to-contain” documentation, meaning they too may not know what the containers hold. “Why wait until the goods are already loaded onto our trucks before taking action? There needs to be a more proactive approach to addressing this issue,” he stated.
The AMATO president also called for legal reforms to protect transporters from penalties related to under-declared or misdeclared goods. “We are not at fault. Our role is simply to transport the goods. We are working on lobbying lawmakers for changes to the law that will shield us from such penalties. However, this is a long-term effort, and we must be patient as we proceed with caution, especially since there are ongoing legal matters,” he explained.
Ogungbemi further called on the Nigerian Shippers’ Council and other regulatory bodies to mediate in order to find a solution. “Customs must do their job, but when discrepancies in container contents are identified, they should seize the containers and release our trucks promptly. It is unjust for our livelihoods to be jeopardized for things beyond our control,” he added.
