By Ayobami Ife, Abeokuta
A Federal High Court sitting in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, has ordered the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) Board to release 9 impounded petroleum trucks to the owners or bring them to the court premises on or before June 5, 2023.
The 9 trucks were parts of the 24 trucks loaded with Premium Motor Spirit(PMS) seized and impounded on November 9, 2019 at Idiroko border area of Ogun State by men and officers of the NCS.
The owners are judgement creditor – applicants, including Olamitide International Ltd, Tonifans Nig Ltd, Vicket Petroleum Ltd, registered trustees of Ipokia/ldiroko Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria and four others.
The applicants’ application was filed by their counsel, George Oyeniyi, Esq against the duo of Nigeria Customs Service Board and ACG B. A. Amajan, the Coordinator, Boarder Drill Operation zone.
When the matter marked FHC/AB/CS/8/2020 came up on Monday for further hearing of the application before Justice A. A. Demi – Ajayi, counsel George Oyeniyi informed the Court that of the 24 trucks loaded with PMS and impounded illegally by the NCS, 15 of them had been auctioned out by the same Nigeria Customs.
Oyeniyi argued that the action was in disobedience of the judgement of the Court delivered on August 9, 2022 directing the NCS to release the 24 tankers and their contents to the applicants.
The applicants’ counsel also informed the Court that the remaining Nine (9) trucks had also been taken away by the NCS from where they were previously parked and prayed the Court to help the applicants retrieve their properties.
Responding, counsel for the defendants Onyeka Chinwe Anigbogu, who appeared alongside Mr. Oluwole Adesoye, told the court that the respondents had not yet file any reply to the application.
Anigbogu said they could not ascertain the availability or otherwise of the seized trucks in the NCS warehouse.
She also informed the court that as the contents of the trucks – PMS, could not be kept for long, they were disposed off by the NCS but assured that necessary action would be taken to resolve the matter.
The presiding justice A. A. Demi – Ajayi after listening to the arguments of both counsel, ordered the respondents to release the Nine (9) trucks to the applicants(petroleum marketers in Idiroko) or bring them to the premises of Federal High Court Abeokuta on or the next adjourned date.
The Court thereafter adjourned the matter till June 5, 2023.
