The General Manager, Operations, Sapid Agencies Ltd., Mr. Francis Itsede says the Ikorodu Terminal, known for the storage of overtime containers and other goods, is not congested.

Sapid Agencies Ltd. is a logistic services provider specialising in cargo handling and provision of haulage equipment.

Itsede told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Wednesday that in 2014, the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) used the terminal when it used the terminal to warehouse 2,000 containers.

“Ikorodu terminal is not congested, as it is, the last transfer we did was last year January, February was the last transfer which NPA did.

“The transfer of containers to Ikorodu as at that time the number should be about 2,000 containers. There are some containers that are there; they are rotten - wood containers and all that.

“The major containers, which NPA transferred to Ikorodu as at January, February last year, we should be having maybe less than 300, 400 containers in the port now.”

Responding to a recent report on alleged stealing in the terminal, the GM said adequate security had been provided to safeguard the containers there.

He said officials of the company were working closely with the Nigeria Police and Nigeria Customs Service to patrol the terminal.

Itsede explained the circumstances surrounding the missing items from a container kept in the terminal.

“The examination was done on a container prior to now.

“Suddenly the owner of the container said he saw his item at the market and he now came back to Ikorodu to verify; they now repositioned the container for examination.

“They now discovered that one out of the three containers was tampered with.

“It was on that note that the man raised an alarm. There has been this joint patrol in Ikorodu Terminal between the Nigeria Customs (Service) and the Police.

“We have our own security as well, but our security - the major thing they do - is to keep record of inward and outward (movement) of containers - both laden and empty.

“On that note when the controller was now complaining that our security is not joining them in the patrol operations in the terminal, we now said since it is now a team thing, the Nigeria Police, the Nigeria Customs and our own security can now be working hand in hand to patrol the terminal.”

Itsede noted that Ikorodu was an overtime cargo terminal where abandoned containers from other ports could be kept.

He said that owners of containers usually enjoyed waivers if they could claim their containers early enough.

According to him, an average of 15 containers are cleared at the terminal on a daily basis, (NAN)

•Photo shows Containers