After three days, the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has finally reopened the export warehouses belonging to the ground handling companies operating at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos.
The facilities belonging to Nigeria Aviation Handling Company (NAHCO) and Skyway Aviation Handling Company (SAHCOL) were reopened as some exporters estimated that about N100million would have been lost during the period of their closure by Customs authorities.
Officials of NCS sealed the warehouses on Monday over a tip-off that donkey skins were being hoarded in the facilities for illegal exportation.
SHIPS & PORTS DAILY reports that export of wildlife products is on the NCS prohibition lit. The service has recently clamped down on some Chinese nationals who were arrested for allegedly attempting to smuggle some wildlife parts, mostly donkey skins to their country.
The service on Monday sealed off the warehouses amidst cry from exporters whose items were kept in the warehouses for export to Europe.
After much pressure, the warehouses were reopened yesterday after as discovered by our correspondent who was at the airport.
Chief Executive of ABX World, Capt. John Okakpu, also confirmed the development to our correspondent, saying over N100million have been lost in three days.
He said most perishable products that were meant for exportation to Europe could not be moved out, adding, “How can you shut down the whole country because of one problem? What kind of behaviour is that? It is very terrible. We have put a lot of pressure on them and they have finally opened it few minutes ago. For the past three days, we have lost more than N100million”.
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