Court Orders Seizure Of Fleeing Drug Dealers’ Vehicles

Justice Ayokunle Faji of the Federal High Court in Lagos has ordered the forfeiture of 111 vehicles and motorcycles abandoned by fleeing drug dealers to the federal government.

Justice Faji also granted the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) the permission to sell the forfeited vehicles and pay all the proceeds from the sale to the government.

The judge made the orders after entertaining an ex-parte motion filed by one of the lawyers from the NDLEA Lagos office, Abu Ibrahim.

While moving the motion for the final forfeiture of the vehicles, Ibrahim informed the court that the ex- parte application was filed in pursuance to sections 44 (2)(B) of the Constitution of The Federal Republic Of Nigeria, 1999 (As Altered),  and section 3 (1)(a)(c) Of the NDLEA Act N.30 Laws of the Federation Of Nigeria 2004.

The lawyer also claimed that the request was made under sections 10 (1), (2)(3), 11, 13, 17 (1)(4) of the Proceeds of Crime (Recovery And Management) Act, 2022, and under the court’s Inherent Jurisdiction, and Section 6 (6) (a) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic Of Nigeria, 1999.

 He stated that the grounds for the final forfeiture of the vehicles include: “that the court has the statutory and constitutional powers under the provisions of sections 10 (1), (2) & (3), sections 11, 13, 17 (1) & (4) of the Proceeds of Crime (Recovery and Management) Act, 2022 and section 44 (2) (B) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as altered) to grant the reliefs being sought.

 Justice Faji, after listening to the lawyer, granted the application under the Proceeds of Crime (Recovery And Management) Act (POCA) 2022.