The Nigeria Customs Service on Tuesday secured an order of the Federal High Court in Lagos to destroy 14 containers loaded with Tramadol, which were seized from smugglers.
The order followed an ex parte application taken before Justice Saliu Saidu by the agency.
The counsel for the Customs, Mr Bisi Ogunlowo, explained to the court that the banned drug consignments were intercepted between February and September this year by the NCS operatives on duty at the Apapa Wharf, Lagos.
He said the 14 containers of the banned drug were abandoned by the smugglers, who fled upon being accosted for checks.
He added that since the confiscation of the consignments, no one had come forward to lay claim to the containers.
Ogunlowo said a search by officials at the court’s registry revealed that there were no pending lawsuits against the NCS in respect of any of the consignments.
He, therefore, urged Justice Saidu to authorise the Customs to destroy the banned drug consignments pursuant to sections 167 and 169 (1), Schedule 3 of the Nigeria Customs Services Management Act Cap. C. 45 of the Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
In granting the prayer, the judge held, “I have listened to the submission of the counsel as well as gone through the affidavit in support of the application and the written address and the attached exhibits.
“The application is hereby granted as prayed.”
