HIGH COURT JUDGEMENT ON PASSENGER BAGGAGE: CUSTOMS FILES FRESH HEARING

By Innocent Orok

Col. Hameed Ali, CG of Customs

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS)
in response to the judgment of Import duty on Goods/Personal Effects contained in passenger baggage, has filed for setting aside of the judgment delivered on 13th May, 2020 by the Federal High Court, Abuja on the grounds:
A)No fair hearing before the judgment was delivered.
B) Misapplication of the laws to arrive at the said judgment.
C) The judgment is a nullity among others.

This was contained in a press statement issued yesterday by Deputy Comptroller Joseph Attah, National Public Relations Officer of the NCS on behalf of the Comptroller-General of the Customs.

The statement said “The Service is by this seeking for the case to be heard on its merit and opportunity for all parties to adequately address the honorable Court.”

“While urging the general public to await the outcome of the case, the Service wishes to assure Nigerians of its readiness to comply with the outcome of the judicial process.”

It could be recalled that a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, FCT has ruled in favour of a Complainant passenger who challenged the power of the Customs in compelling him to pay import duty on a suppose Personal Effect baggage.

The Court had ruled in favour of the Complainant, ordering the Customs to refund the collected import duty. while also awarding N5million compensation to be paid by the Customs to the Complainant.