Lawyer petitions CG over Customs’ alleged flouting of judgment on seized vessels

Legal practitioner, George Oyeniyi, has raised the alarm over alleged flouting of a judgment of the Federal High Court, Abeokuta by the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) on release of his clients’ 24 trucks of Premium Motor Spirit (popularly known as petrol) impounded since 2022.

The lawyer, in a petition to the Comptroller General, Hameed Ali, claimed that federal revenue-generating agency auctioned the vessels despite a valid court ruling by Justice Shittu Abubakar, delivered on August 9, 2022, ordering their release.

According to Oyeniyi, NCS was ordered to release the trucks “unlawfully impounded by men and officers of the border drill operation unit on November 10, 2019.”

It was, however, gathered that the Service allegedly auctioned all tankers as scraps after being on verge of being dismantled in Sagamu.

The complaint reads in part: “As counsel to the judgment creditors in the above matter that is Suit No: FHC/AB/CS/8/2020 between: Olamitide International Limited & seven others V. Nigeria Customs Service Board and another already concluded before my Lord, Hon. Justice M. Shittu Abubakar, sitting at the Federal High Court No.1, Abeokuta, Ogun State.

“The Federal High Court delivered its final judgment on August 9, 2022 wherein the same ordered the release of all the said 24 vehicles with all the petroleum contents unlawfully impounded and seized by men and officers of the NCS (Border Drill Operation Unit) on November 10, 2019.

“It will interest you to note that while the case was pending before the court, there was an interlocutory injunction granted in favour of the plaintiffs, in the court ruling delivered on July 16, 2020.”