NSC Resolved a Dispute Between COSCO Shipping Company and Mickey Excellency, a Consignee, Regarding Container Retrieval Fees, Detention Charges
NSC Resolved a Dispute Between COSCO Shipping Company and Mickey Excellency, a Consignee, Regarding Container Retrieval Fees, Detention Charges
By Success Okezie
The Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) recently intervened and amicably resolved a dispute between COSCO Shipping Company and a complainant, Mickey Excellency, regarding the retrieval fees and detention charges of a 1X40FT container abandoned on a truck in Jebba, Kwara State.
Background
The NSC received a formal complaint concerning the retrieval of an empty 1X40FT container (Container No: OOCU8242779). The container was located in Jebba by COSCO’s Retrieval Team during their routine surveillance operations for abandoned and unreturned containers across the Country.
Jessica Jonathan, Operations Officer I, while summarizing the complaint, disclosed that the Retrieval Team issued an invoice of ₦1.8 million to the Consignee, excluding detention charges incurred due to the delayed return of the container to Lagos.
The Complainant, Mickey Excellency, was represented by their Chairman alongside Mr. Badru Odurayo, the Haulage Company owner responsible for the transport. COSCO Shipping was represented by Mrs. Blessing O. Omeje.
Mr. Badru explained that the haulage was subcontracted and faced a mechanical breakdown. The driver diverted the container to Kogi State for triangulation, but the process was aborted when it was discovered that the container did not belong to COSCO. He noted that the driver was compensated with ₦150,000 for fuel to return the container, which was later recovered by COSCO’s Retrieval Team with police support.
Mrs. Omeje, representing COSCO, confirmed that the container was gated out on July 12, 2024, but not returned after several reminders. The container, valued at $6,700, was eventually retrieved on October 29, 2024. She emphasized that COSCO adhered strictly to their Standard Operating Procedure throughout the process.
NSC’s Intervention
The meeting was chaired by Mr. Hassan Aminu, Principal Operations Officer, under the guidance of Dr. Bashir Ambi Mohammed, Assistant Director and Head of Complaints Unit. Dr. Bashir, speaking on behalf of the Executive Secretary/CEO, Akutah, Pius Ukeyima, Esq., MON, FCILT, Ph.D., assured the parties of NSC’s impartiality and commitment to a fair resolution process.
After three and a half hours of deliberations, the following resolutions were adopted:
NSC expresses displeasure over the growing trend of Consignees failing to return empty containers within the stipulated timeframe.
The Complainant is to pay ₦1,612,500, being the actual cost of retrieving the container from Jebba to Lagos, as verified by the NSC invoice—down from the initial ₦1.8 million demand.The Complainant is to pay 10 days’ detention charges to cover the retrieval period.
The Complainant is also to settle accrued detention fees from the container’s delivery date to the date of its retrieval.
NSC commended COSCO’s retrieval efforts, which help reduce cases of missing containers.
NSC encourages Consignees to engage only registered truckers to mitigate similar incidents.
Conclusion
The parties expressed satisfaction and gratitude for the NSC’s professional and transparent handling of the case. Both COSCO Shipping and the Complainant agreed to maintain their business relationship moving forward.
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