‘Maritime police hindering maritime businesses’
The country’s port operations are facing fresh pressure as frequent investigative holds by the Maritime Police, reportedly up to 15 daily, delay cargo clearance, increase costs, and limit container availability
The country’s port operations are facing fresh pressure as frequent investigative holds by the Maritime Police, reportedly up to 15 daily, delay cargo clearance, increase costs, and limit container availability for shipping lines.
Operators warned that the growing frequency of container interceptions, often flagged for investigation, has begun to erode operational predictability across key terminals, raising fresh concerns over Nigeria’s already high logistics cost structure and port competitiveness.
The concerns came to the fore at a recent stakeholders’ forum convened by the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) in Lagos, where freight forwarders and shipping companies detailed mounting delays linked to Maritime Police interventions, even as authorities insist the measures are critical for security and regulatory compliance.
Chairman of the Africa Association of Professional Freight Forwarders and Logistics of Nigeria (APFFLON), Tin Can Chapter, Akeem Ayobiojo, said while earlier engagements had resolved some bottlenecks, a new pattern of container holds, now sometimes routed through the Council, has reintroduced delays into the clearance chain.
“We have been fighting this issue of Maritime Police interference for a while and made some progress, but recently we’ve observed that containers are now being blocked through the Nigerian Shippers’ Council, leading to delays and damages to shipments,” he said.
Ayobiojo noted that the extended clearance timelines are not only disrupting cargo flows but also exposing importers and logistics operators to additional storage costs and potential cargo deterioration, underscoring the need for a more streamlined and predictable intervention framework.
Shipping lines, already grappling with equipment shortages and tight turnaround windows, say the impact is becoming increasingly operational. Chairman of the Shipping Association of Nigeria, Boma Alabi, indicated that multiple daily directives to place containers on hold have significantly reduced equipment circulation within the port system.
“What we get from our members is that containers are picked at random from the manifest and placed on hold for investigation, and this has become a major concern for operators.
“Shipping lines are receiving multiple requests daily, sometimes as many as 15, and these holds affect operations because the containers are taken out of circulation. We do not want to charge demurrage, but when our boxes are tied down due to these issues, it impacts our ability to serve other customers,” she said.
Alabi stressed that while security checks are necessary, the absence of clearly defined timelines for resolving investigative holds is creating avoidable inefficiencies, urging authorities to establish faster resolution mechanisms and clearer operational guidelines.
Responding, Head of the Complaints Unit at NSC, Bashir Ambi, said the Council’s role remains that of a neutral arbiter focused on protecting stakeholders and ensuring fairness in cargo handling processes.
“In all our engagements, we have made it clear that no stakeholder should pay any money. If there is an issue, bring it to the Council and we will intervene. We are collaborating with the Maritime Police to ensure fairness, but our priority is to make sure stakeholders are not unduly disadvantaged,” he said.
Ambi added that the Council’s collaboration with the Maritime Police is designed to facilitate the release of legitimately cleared cargo while preventing abuse within the system.
Providing further operational clarity, spokesperson of the Maritime Police Command, Rasheed Adebayo, explained that engagement protocols differ across terminal operators, with only a limited number, including APM Terminals and Maersk Line, operating a structure where official correspondence is routed through the Council.
He said the arrangement, introduced around 2019, was intended to streamline security operations and eliminate conflicting directives from multiple police units within the ports, stressing that it was not initiated by the Police.
Adebayo acknowledged stakeholder concerns over delays and confirmed that ongoing discussions involving the Maritime Police, the Nigerian Shippers’ Council, terminal operators, and shipping lines are aimed at reviewing and improving the process.
The Command, however, maintained that its interventions remain strictly intelligence-driven and within statutory limits, particularly in cases involving suspected smuggling, fraud, or other infractions.
“Investigative holds on consignments are intelligence-driven and guided strictly by existing laws and operational procedures. The Command does not condone or tolerate any form of extortion or unprofessional conduct, and any proven case will be met with appropriate disciplinary action,” he stated.
For industry stakeholders, the core issue now is balancing security enforcement with trade facilitation. With containers increasingly trapped in investigative loops, operators warn that unless timelines are tightened and processes harmonised, the cumulative effect could further deepen congestion risks, inflate demurrage exposure, and weaken Nigeria’s position as a competitive maritime hub in West Africa.
