House of Reps Committee Sets to Arrest Officials of Mediterranean Shipping Company.

The House of Representatives Committee on Public Petitions, on Thursdsy 31st July, issued arrest warrants against officials of Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) Nigeria and Mediterranean Shipping Company S.A, Geneva, following repeated failures by officials of the company to honour summons by the House of Representatives Committee on Public Petitions.

Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), oncemore failed to put up appearance, at the renewed hearing, despite repeated summons. The chairman of the committee, Hon. Micheal Etaba Irom, who presided over today’s seating directed that the earlier orders of the committee, regarding the matter subsists.

Recall that the House Committee on Public Petitions had earlier on Wednesday, 2nd July, invoked Sections 89 (c) and (d) of the constitution, as amended, and ordered the Inspector General of Police to compel the Managing Director and Deputy Managing Director of MSC to appear before the House Committee.

The House of Representatives Committee on Public Petitions, directed the Inspector General of Police to Compel the appearance of the Managing Director of Mediterranean Shipping Company Nigeria Limited, Andrew Lynch and the Deputy Managing Director, Jake Iosso, before the committee. The development, arose following the refusal of the global shipping giant to answer the summons served it and appear before the committee.

The House Committee on Public Petitions during it’s sitting on Thursday, 31st July, to hear the petition by the Citizens Whistleblowers Coalition against Mediterenean Shipping Company (MSC), gave the order, following persistent refusal of the shipping giant to answer it’s summons, ordered the Federal Inland Revenue Services (FIRS) to furnish the House of Representatives with details of the tax remitances of the global shipping giant to the Nigerian government. Also the committee ordered the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) to furnish it with the details of the corporate registration of Mediterranean Shipping Company in Nigeria.

Mediterranean Shipping Company has not only failed to honour the summons for the thus far, but also failed to file a response to the petition. The committee having established that MSC was duly served the summons through a letter to their office and also through a publication in a national daily, frowned at the persistent failure of the global shipping giant to honour it’s invitations.

Hon. Uzoma Abonta, lawyer to the Citizens Whistleblowers Coalition, in his presentation to the committee, noted that MSC has shown that it operates in flagrant disregard to Nigerian laws and institutions and urged the committee to compel MSC to appear before the parliament, failing which their license to operate in Nigeria should be suspended. He urged the committee to issue an order for the foreclosure MSC operations in Nigeria. He also urged the committee to extend the summons to NPA, FIRS, FCCPC, Nigerian Shippers Council, Nigerian Customs Services and other regulatory agencies in the maritime sector.

Recall that a civil society group, Citizens Whistleblowers Coalition (CWC) had filed a petition titled, PETITION AGAINST MEDITERRANEAN SHIPPING COMPANY NIG. LTD AND MEDITERRANEAN SHIPPING COMPANY S.A., GENEVA FOR DELAY IN DELIVERY OF THE SHIPMENTS, ARBITRARY, INCONSISTENT AND OPAQUE CHARGES, ILLEGAL DETENTION OF SHIPMENTS, EXTORTION, UNFAIR PRACTICES AND TAX EVASION to the House of Representatives.

According to the petition, MSC Shipping Nigeria, which operates out of 41 Creek Road, Apapa Quays, Lagos, (with Phone Contacts: 08058623515, 08039338833), has not been declaring their revenues accurately and also has been evading paying proper taxes, when their worldwide revenues are in excess of €83bn with Nigeria being their biggest market in Africa. MSC’s shipping practices has often been depicted by many as being oppressive and unfair to Nigerians especially as it relates to demurrage and detention charges.

The petition further noted that a company no matter its size, should have regard for the laws of the land where it generates revenue.

MSC Nigeria Limited, allegedly, collects container deposits from freight forwarders and licensed customs agents acting on behalf of the importers, but they fail to refund the money after the container has been returned. The company collects deposits ranging from N200,000 to N400,000 on 20foot container and 40foot containers respectively.

NAGAFF (Nigerian Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders and ANLCA (Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents) has often accused MSC of collecting Container Deposits on behalf of importers but fail to refund same after the container has been returned

According to the petition, “We equally note that MSC’s actions offend several provisions of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act 2018 which applies to services rendered by any company in Nigeria. For instance, MSC’s opaque handling of D & D charges and DRV rates is contrary to the provisions of section 115 of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act 2018 (‘FCCPA’) which requires the disclosure of prices of any goods and services. The D & D charges and DRV rates are equally contrary to section 127 of the FCCPA which prohibits manifestly unfair, unreasonable and unfair prices.

The petition concluded that MSC is taking Nigeria and Nigerians for a ride, as it boasts that it has a monopoly of the Nigerian Shipping Industry and is therefore untouchable.

The matter was further adjourned to 25th Sept, 2025.