…. Fraudulent agencies to produce the Consignee to the Council
The Nigerian Shippers’ Council has intervened in a complaint of lien on a cargo due to outstanding debt on a previous transaction by a clearing agent.
In a letter of complaint received by the Council from Intusar Multiglobal Concept, Kantin Kwari, Kano, signed by the Manager, Ahmed Aminu, they lamented that Hull Blyth /Arkas blocked their consignment of 1X20 FT with Bill of Lading: ARKMER0000184633, Container Number, ARKU238974 containing Rice Mill cargo worth over N35 Million imported from Turkey.
The complainant stated that ”we used Throne Boss Agency, unknown to us, the agency in conjunction with other agencies, Chimon Pearson and Logistics Services Ltd and Baselicas Investment Ltd was involved in a criminal act by forging Hull Blyth Nig./Arkas Delivery Order (DO) and sent same to the terminal using the forged official email of a staff of the shipping company and took delivery of the box from APMT Apapa”, thereby evading accrued demurrage of 416 days and local shipping charges amounting to about 9.8 Million Naira.
The meeting was also informed that the agents neither returned the empty box nor paid 8,500 USD as replacement value for the missing box.
The Chairman of the tripartite meeting, Mr. Daniel Orume, (Deputy Director) requested the case handler, Musa Mohammed to brief the meeting on the Complaint.
Orume asked the Shipping Agency whether they agreed with the brief. Hull Blyth represented at the meeting by Mr. Iain Lindsay, General Manager, and Mr. Bagai Joel, Manager Equipment Control, agreed with the submission and added that the agent should pay the sum of N10 Million as loss of revenue and replacement value of the missing box.
APM Terminals, represented at the meeting by Mr. Adetunji Igbaugba, Customer Service Manager, confirmed the criminal act committed by the agency. It was also confirmed by the terminal that the agent had forged the email address of Hull Blyth staff, through which he forwarded a fake Delivery Order to the Terminal and took delivery of the cargo. He also informed the meeting that the agency had previous criminal records.
Responding, Throne Boss Agency, represented by Chibuzor Oganba, pointed out that they accepted transfer of authority, unknown to them that Baselicas Investment had outstanding debts with the Shipping Company.
However, after critical review of all the documents presented, the meeting resolved that; Intusar Multiglobal Cargo be released immediately after change of agency.
Parties at the meeting were grateful for NSC intervention.
