The Nigeria Customs Service has stated that it sealed MT NY Maria because the vessel was found discharging premium motor spirit without the requisite Customs clearance at the MRS Terminal at the Dantata Jetty, Tincan Island Port.
In a statement on Thursday obtained by The PUNCH, the Public Relations Officer of the Tincan Island Command of the NCS, Oscar Ivara, Chief Superintendent of Customs, said that the service wishes to address misleading narratives circulating regarding enforcement actions taken on the vessel, MT NY Maria.
Recall that on Wednesday, The Cable reported that officers of the NCS prevented the discharge of petrol at the Tincan Island terminal of MRS in Apapa, Lagos.
The report added that the vessel, MT NY Maria, was loaded with 81,200 metric tonnes of PMS, stressing that the contested cargo was loaded from Dangote refinery.
Reacting to the report, the NCS explained that the service considers it necessary to provide factual clarification of the circumstances surrounding the incident and to “reaffirm the legal basis for the actions taken by its officers, in line with the NCS Act, 2023 (Act No. 35).”
