A Federal High Court in Abuja, on Thursday, okayed an application by Nigeria Customs Service seeking to sell at least 30 seized and unclaimed vehicles by auction and the proceeds remitted to the federal government treasury.

Justice Inyang Ekwo, in a ruling on an ex-parte motion moved by NCS’s lawyer, Wale Kembi, also granted the plea for an order condemning and forfeiting the vehicles to the security organisation.

“The application is hereby granted as prayed,” the judge said.

In the application by the NCS marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/1725/2024, dated and filed November 14 by Smart Akande, the applicant sought two orders.

These include “an order of this honourable court condemning and forfeiting to the Nigeria Customs Service the vehicles listed in the schedule marked as Exhibit ‘A’, annexed to the affidavit in support of the motion.

“An order authorising the Nigeria Customs Service to sell the said vehicles by auction, allocation to the members of the public or by any other means that the applicant may deem appropriate and the proceeds realised from such sale be remitted to the Federal Government Treasury.”

Y.M. Ibrahim, an Inspector of Customs, Government Warehouse, Karu, Abuja, deposed to the affidavit in support of the motion.

Mr Ibrahim said he was “conversant with facts and circumstances of all the seizure which constitute the intercepted and apprehended vehicles herein particularised and attached hereto this affidavit and marked as Exhibit ‘A’.”

He said for over one month now, the vehicles mentioned in the internal memo marked as Exhibit ‘A,’ attached to the affidavit, remained unclaimed after the expiration of time allowed for the clearing at NCS.

He said the seizures were made on the orders and instructions of the Comptroller General of the NCS, as regards the issue of combating the activities of smugglers in Abuja and its environs, whose activities constitute great dangers to the health and viability of the Nigerian economy.

“That the owners/consignees/importers and /or their agents, servants or privies and their collaborators hereof at all times material to the seizure of the vehicles attempted to smuggle vehicles and goods into Nigeria as a result of which they were accosted but escaped, thereby abandoning the goods and vehicles for fear of being arrested and prosecuted by the customs authority.

“That apart from acts of smuggling and/or fraudulent evasion of duty, some of the defaulters brought in outright unlawful, illegal and prohibited items, which are so classified by the Customs Law and Provisions. That from the dates of seizure as stated in the schedule attached and marked as Exhibit ‘A,’ nobody has come forward to claim ownership of any of the vehicles, thereby rendering them abandoned seizures.

“That the vehicles were intercepted on the roads within the jurisdiction of this honourable court by the officers of the Nigeria Customs Service while the owners ran away and never came to claim for over 30 days. That in order to prevent complete deterioration of the said vehicles and total loss of revenue, the Nigeria Customs Service Board now intends to sell the vehicles by way of auction and allocations in line with Customs laws and provisions. That all efforts to apprehend and prosecute the importers or owners of the vehicles have been in vain.

“That the continued detention and keeping of the vehicles contained in the schedule marked as Exhibit ‘A’ has not only resulted in congestion of the Government Warehouse, Karu, Abuja but has occasioned the deterioration of some of the vehicles involved. That all the vehicles mentioned in Exhibit ‘A’ are at the Nigeria Customs Service, Government Warehouse, Karu, Abuja.

“That there is no pending litigation in respect of the goods listed in Exhibit ‘A’ annexed to the affidavit.

“That the Nigeria Customs Service Board shall indemnify anybody affected by the court order if the order ought not to have been made against the person in the first instance or was obtained fraudulently. That there is need for urgency to seek and obtain the order of this court to enable the applicant to properly dispose of the vehicles,” the officer averred.

Some of the vehicles include Nissan Altima with chassis number: IN4BL2LE08N433703; Toyota Hilux with chassis number: MROBX3CD2M2834123; Toyota Hilux with number: MROBXBCO2M2837958; Toyota Hilux with number: NMROHXBCD5KO932288; and Toyota Landcruiser, JTIWHY7A1504018942.

Others are a Lexus GX460 LEXUS GX<60 with number: JTJBM7FXID5061132; Toyota Hilux with number: MROHX8CDSL1396196; Toyota Hiace Ambulance with number: JTFHXO2PXFO1L02639; Toyota Corolla with number: JTDS4RCEILI006008; Toyota RAV4 with number: JTMGIRFV4KD037292, among others.

(NAN)