John, a customer agent at Emirate Airlines SkyCargo, has demanded N150,000 to clear a parcel sent from the United States.

John, who works at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, demanded the amount despite the payment of N39,500 in customs duty on the same package.

Sade Aridade (not real name), a Lagos-based resident, told FIJ that the parcel was sent to her from the US on Tuesday and arrived the following day.

She said that the package contained new mobile phones and $3000 cash.

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“When the parcel arrived in Nigeria, I received a call from the cargo that it was ready and that I should pay the usual customs duty to clear it,” she told FIJ.

“For this, we paid N39,500 and expected that the package would be sent to Lagos immediately. But surprisingly, John called us back and said the package was scanned, some USD cash was discovered in the package and we had to pay an extra N150,000 for its release.”

Aridade said John told her she needed to pay an additional fee for settlement to the local department officers and if this was not paid on time, the package would be auctioned the following day.

“This was strange to us, but he insisted we had to pay the money before the end of yesterday or auction our parcel. We asked to know who was receiving this ‘settlement’, but there was no definite response,” said Aridade.

“But then I told him there was nowhere I would get N150,000 from; the cash in the package is for an important family event happening this weekend. Later, he negotiated and said I could pay N100,000 if I couldn’t afford the N150,000. I told him it was still too much, and then he reduced it to N50,000.”

When FIJ called John on Wednesday afternoon for details of what the N150,000 settlement was about, he said the cash found in the package was money laundering and so he needed to settle officials of the local department to get the package out.

“The owner of the package has to pay me N150,000 because the cash found in the package implies money laundering. You can’t carry money around the country; it is against the law,” he told FIJ.

“It is called money laundering because there is an illegal package in the parcel. So, the N150,000 they are paying is for the officers in the local department of the airport.

“This money is different from the customs duty, and she only has to pay it because there is cash in the parcel she is receiving.”

When FIJ pointed out that the Central Bank of Nigeria released a statement in 2013 that only cash above US$10,000.00 or its equivalent has to be declared to the Nigerian Customs Service, he simply said the money was for the local department officials.

“I have told you that the N150,000 is for the settlement of the local department officials. If the person does not allow me settle them, she will have to come herself to the port to explain how she got the money,” said John.

“Transportation of cash or negotiable instruments in excess of US$10,000.00 or its equivalent by individuals in or out of the country shall be declared to the Nigerian Customs Service,” the CBN statement reads in part.

On Thursday morning, Aridade told FIJ she had sent N50,000 to the account provided by John, a MoniePoint account with the name ‘Chukwudi Agala’, the same as the one used to receive the customs duty.

“I sent him N50,000 last night, which was the last thing we agreed on, with a promise that I would receive the package in Lagos between 9 am and 10 am,” said Aridade.

“However, John called this morning to say it was either N150,000 or the package would be auctioned.”