Imported goods worth mil­lions of naira belonging to hundreds of Igbo traders have been allegedly seized by the authorities and handling agencies at the nation’s ports.

The traders under the umbrella of southeast Amal­gamated Markets Traders Association (SEAMATA) disclosed this in a petition to the National Assembly, urg­ing the lawmakers to come to their rescue and prevail on the authorities and handling agencies to release the seized consignments.

The traders alleged that these seized consignments have continued to attract de­murrage before and since the Covid-19 pandemic lockdown

In the Save-Our-Soul peti­tion sent to the National As­sembly, which was co-signed by the President of the associ­ation, Chief Gozie Akudolu and his Secretary, Alex Ok­wudiri, the traders recounted that most of their members raised funds through bank loans and overdrafts to im­port goods from Asia and Europe.

They explained that some of the consignments arrived at the ports shortly before and during the pandemic lockdown of the nation’s ports.

According to them, all their efforts to clear the consign­ments and take delivery of their goods during the lock­down, proved abortive, as the offices of the authorities and handling agencies at the ports were closed without anyone to attend to owners of the con­signments and their clearing agents.