The Ibadan Explosion, National Security Adviser and Importation Of Explosives
The incidence of explosion in Ibadan penultimate Tuesday, January 16, 2024, raises more questions than answers in the regulatory powers of the Minister of Mines & Natural Resources, Mr. Dele Alake, over the operations of mining companies. As at today, January 18, 2024, latest reports confirm that additional two people died from injuries sustained from the explosion, bringing the numbers of dead persons to five.
Recently, Mr. Alake suspended the operations of many mining companies due to the lack of registration with the ministry of mines and other regulatory agencies. Most of the companies suspended can be described as operating without approved licence and involved in illegal operations.
The Ibadan blast explosion, naturally, should raise many questions for Mr. Alake and Nigerians as to the ‘Why’ of the explosion happening at all.
Reactive emotional reactions have trailed the Ibadan explosion, with many people putting the blame on Mr. Alake, without actually reviewing the origins and processes of procuring approval for the importation mining explosives.
The location of the Ibadan explosion is within a highbrow residential community, made up of above-middle-class, senior citizens. We may blame members of the community for not reporting the repetitive delivery of strange cartons in a building within that community to the Police, other security agencies and the state government for this sad incidence that has led to the unnecessary loss of lives.
With the Ibadan explosion as a compass, security agencies should interrogate the process of the acquisition and procurement of mining explosives – this process is beyond the Minister of Mines and Natural Resources.
As a player in the logistics management chain and hands-on logistics manager engaged in Custom-clearing operations at Nigeria’s two foremost Lagos sea ports, I beat my chest to state that about 80% explosives imported through Nigerian ports are without approval of the National Security Adviser, NSA.
To import any model/type of mining equipment, in no order of importance, the application process includes the following documents:
1. Commercial Invoice
2. Packing List
3. Description of Goods
4. Export Permit By Foreign Manufacturer/Producer (issued by host Country)
5. SON (Standards Organisation of Nigeria) Certificate
6. End User Certificate
(This certificate is issued by the National Security Adviser, NSA) – The Department of State Security Service, DSS, has a copy of every End User Certificate issued to every Company/Importer of mining equipment, explosives and allied materials.
7. Country of Origin (Document that clearly states that the mining equipment, explosive or material have been certified for export to Nigeria by the exporting country)
8. Form ‘M’ (issued by the CBN upon satisfying its Terms & Conditions)
N.B.
In ALL of the above Documents, the contact person’s name, address, phone number of the importing Nigerian company and its TIN (Transaction Identification Number) are clearly stated in the SON and Form ‘M’, Nigeria Custom Entry forms and other documents. This is to ease investigation in case of any untoward incidence.
Can the relevant agencies of government through the above documents trace the importer(s) of the explosives of the Ibadan explosion?
There are three types of Nigeria Custom Service, NCS, examination of containers:
A. Scanning
B. Physical
C. Non-Examination
For about 17 years, the NCS Scanning equipment at Apapa port was down and was recently reintroduced in 2021.
Dubious and criminal minded elements, who masquerade as genuine importers/companies, would rather avoid NCS container examination process by compromising her officers to have their containers Released on the basis of Non-Examination. This process exempts their containers from security scrutiny of their contents and containers.
Naturally, everything being equal, ALL imported containers MUST be subjected to Physical Examination by NCS officials. This is the standard, extant regulation of the NCS. However, when dubious importers bring in explosives, in the Description Of Goods document, they describe explosives as industrial chemicals, fertilizer, raw materials for soap production, etcetera but with the cooperation of corrupt NCS officials, such containers are NOT subjected to the basic examination of A. Scanning Examination, B. Physical Examination. Containers released by NCS officials to importers on the basis of NON- EXAMINATION are done on the basis of ‘money for hand’, and this is after a very huge, handsome amount of money has exchanged hands. Such containers, after release, are discharged in a clandestine manner to avoid raising public suspicion. That situation could have led to storage of explosives in a residential abode of the Ibadan community.
Apart from perishable items like, fruits, vegetables, frozen fish/meat, etcetera, all other containers, especially chemicals, must be subjected to Physical Examination by the NCS officers. This is the standard practice but the ‘Nigerian factor’ has rubbished this process.
Now, all most all importers of explosives do not apply to the office of the National Security Adviser, NSA, for approval to import their equipment because the approval process is based on thorough investigation and scrutiny of the company and its management board. The process is 360° all-encompassing and is done with a fine tooth comb. Only very few companies scale the security investigation by the NSA for application to import explosives. And, so what do these dubious importers do to beat the eagle-eye scrutiny of port DSS officers? They forge the End-User Certificate as if it is issued to them by the NSA! Even when they are caught, they still buy their way through corrupt DSS officers to take delivery of their containers.
To stop a repetition of the sad episode of Ibadan explosion, the NSA must read the riot act to the DG of the DSS and his port officials, to forthwith, confirm the apha-numeric number of each End-User Certificate submitted by importers for the release of containers flagged as chemicals at the ports or any Bonded Terminal.
The office of the NSA can assist the Minister of Mines and Natural Resources to investigate and unveil the faces of persons behind the importation of the explosives that led to the sad explosion at Ibadan. To do this, the NSA must work with Shipping Companies and Terminal Operators. After taking a stand on a timeline, perhaps from Year 2020 to November 2023, all Manifest from the above period should be scrutinized.
Finally, the NSA should focus on the operations of Bonded Terminals – about 60% of dangerous consignments are deliberately transferred to these terminals to avoid Physical Examination.
As I write this piece, more containers of explosives are on the high sea, aboard vessels, enroute to Nigeria. All containers, irrespective of the Goods Description on their Bill Of Lading, must be subjected to 360° Physical Examination. Physical Examination of containers give 99% success rate, devoid of probabilities, which will prevent a repeat of another explosion incidence. DSS and NCS officers must put the nation’s interest first, far above their selfish pecuniary benefit.
May the souls of victims of the Ibadan explosion rest in peace.
© Ono. Eviosekwofa
January 18, 2024