Drama Looms As Lawyer Demands N160m As Damages Over Unlawful Detention By Customs Operatives

Chikaosolu Ojukwu, a lawyer, has dragged the Nigerian Customs Service Board and the Nigerian Customs Service, NCS, before a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, demanding N160million as damages over his unlawful detention and extortion.

Ojukwu through his counsel, Segun Fiki, is also asking the court to determine whether he was liable to pay import duty, value added tax, VAT and other levies to the defendants in respect of his personal effects, in view of the provisions of Section 8 of the Customs, Excise Tariff, etc (Consolidation) Act and paragraph 7 of the Second Schedule to the Customs, Excise Tariff, etc (Consolidation) Act.

He also wants the court to determine whether or not in view of the s of Section 8 of the Customs, Excise Tariff, etc (Consolidation) Act and paragraph 7 of the Second Schedule to the Custom, Excise Tariff, etc (Consolidation) Act, the defendants are entitled to impose and collect duty on the baggage and personal effects of the plaintiff and indeed any other Nigerian who has not been outside the jurisdiction of the Federal Republic of Nigeria for not less than nine months.

He’s asking the court to declare that the unlawful detention of the plaintiff by restraining him from leaving the airport premises to take his medications until he pays the import duty, value added tax and other levies on the four pieces of iPhone 13 Pro amounts to unlawful arrest and detention.

He also sought an order of the court directing the defendants to refund the total sum of N404,417, being the import duty, value added tax, VAT, and other levies which were unlawfully demanded and collected from the plaintiff by the defendants upon his arrival at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Abuja on February 20, 2023.