Court Orders Sale of Vehicles Abandoned with Assorted Narcotics

Ladipo Sanusi/

A Federal High Court in Lagos, today granted leave to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency to sell off seven vehicles belonging to suspected drug couriers.

The court granted a motion exparte filed by the agency seeking the forfeiture and sale of the vehicles, which were loaded with assorted banned drugs at the time they were abandoned.

The drugs include, 7372.13 kilograms of Cannabis Sativa (Indian hemp), 31.4 grams of heroine, 292 grams of cocaine and 19 grams of methamphetamine.

The vehicles are, Volvo 240 GL, marked AH 331 EPE; Nissan Pick-up, marked AA 801 SBA; Mazda bus, marked AS 693 AAB; Peugeot 605, marked CL 928 AAA; Volkswagen Audi with chassis number WAUZZZ8DZTA164050, Mercedes-Benz 200 (regular), marked AA 915 LSD and black Express Bus, marked KTU 783 CQ.

Proceeds from the sale are to be deposited in the account of the federal Republic of Nigeria.

The NDLEA in an affidavit attached to the motion exparte, which was deposed to by Odede Lawrence, an exhibit officer with the agency, said that the vehicles were abandoned with the banned substances between 2013 and 2016. It also revealed that no one had, since then, come forward to claim the vehicles and the drugs.

The deponent also stated that the vehicles were recovered at various locations in Lagos.

He further stated that laboratory tests conducted on the recovered substances revealed they are banned drugs.

He, consequently, urged the court to grant the application in the interest of justice.

Justice Sule Hassan granted the order of forfeiture and sale of the vehicles after listening to the submission of the NDLEA lawyer Mr. Jerry Aernan.

The judge, however, ordered NDLEA to file an undertaken as to damage, in order to indemnify anyone that may claim the order was wrongly obtained.

0