Illegal seizure: Court orders Customs to release 9 petroleum trucks impounded in Ogun

…threatens to grant Contempt of Court proceeding against service CG

Laide Raheem, Abeokuta

A Federal High Court sitting in Abeokuta, on Monday, ordered the Management and Board of the Nigeria Customs Service to comply with the court judgement and release the remaining 9 trucks out of 24 illegally impounded from petroleum products marketers in the Idiroko

 axis of Ogun State.

The court, presided over by Justice A.A Demi-Ajayi, submitted that the NCS should not hesitate any longer to release the impounded tankers as pronounced by the court, on or before the next adjournment date of June 5, or risk the conclusion of proceeding of committal of the Contempt of Court against the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Col. Hameed Ali (rtd) as instituted by counsel to the plaintiffs.

The plaintiffs – Olamitide International Limited

TONIFANS Nigeria Limited;

Olafems Oil and Gas Limited;

Joffy A.A Petroleum Limited

Wahabisco Oil Petroleum Limited;

Vicket Petroleum Limited;

Mikenid Petroleum Nigeria Limited and Registered Trustees of Ipokia/Idiroko Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, had dragged the NCS before the Federal High Court over illegal seizures and confiscation of 24 petroleum tankers in 2019.

Delivering the judgement in the case with suit number FHC/AB/CS/8/2020, on August 9, 2022, the court declared the action of the NCS as illegal and ordered that all the trucks and the contents should be released to the owners.

The counsel to the plaintiffs, George Oyeniyi, during proceeding on Monday, informed the court that all the 15 tankers moved to the warehouse of the Nigeria Customs Service located in Ikorodu had been auctioned along with that contents.

According to him, a visit by him to the warehouse last week Friday revealed that the tankers and the contents had been sold on auction, despite the court judgement obtained in favour of the plaintiffs since last year.

He, however, prayed the court to grant his clients’ application for the proceeding of committal of the Contempt of Court against the CG of the NCS.

Representing the defendant in the court, Onyeka Anigbogu, confirmed the submission of the counsel to the plaintiffs that the availability of the 15 petroleum tankers could not be ascertained at the warehouse of the NCS.

She, however, informed the court that she and the plaintiffs’ counsel would work on how the matter would be settled.

In her ruling, Justic Demi-Ajayi, said she could not see good faith being demonstrated by the NCS on the matter, ordering the release of the remaining nine trucks parked at the  Customs Border Post in Idiroko to their various owners on or before June 5.

She added that she would not hesitate to grant the completion of the proceeding of the committal of Contempt of Court against the DG of the service, if the NCS fails to release the trucks on or before June 5, which was fixed for adjournment of the case.