Federal High Court in Abuja has restrained the Federal Government of Nigeria from enforcing or giving effect to the Customs Modernisation Project also known as e-Custom allegedly executed by its agents on May 30, 2022.
Gatekeepers News reports that the agents who allegedly executed the disputed concession project includes the Nigerian Customs Service, Trade Modernisation Project limited, Huawei Technologies Company Nigeria Limited, and African Finance Corporation.
The court further issued an order of interim injunction against the federal government or its agents acting through the Federal Executive Council from retrospectively ratifying the decisions to concession the e-Custom project to Trade Modernisation Project Limited, Huawei Technologies Company Limited, and African Finance Corporation.
Justice Inyang Ekwo, while delivering the restraining order on Friday, said the order shall last till the hearing and the determination of a suit brought against the Federal Government by two aggrieved companies.
The two aggrieved companies are E-Customs HC Project Limited and Bionica Technologies (West Africa) Limited which jointly challenged the alleged unlawful and fraudulent concession of the e-custom project to African Finance Corporation.
Anone Usman, counsel to the two aggrieved companies, had, on behalf of the two plaintiffs, argued an ex-parte application in which he prayed the Federal High Court for interim orders against the defendants to protect the interest of his clients.
While ruling on the ex-parte application, Justice Ekwo granted the prayers of the plaintiffs having placed sufficient evidence of interest in the concession project.
Also, the Judge granted permission to the aggrieved companies to serve a Writ of Summons and all other processes on the African Finance Corporation at its head office, located in Ikoyi, Lagos through DHL courier services.
Defendants in the suit are the Federal Government of Nigeria, Attorney-General of the Federation, Finance Minister, Infrastructure Regulatory Concession Commission, Nigeria Customs Service, Trade Modernization Project limited, Huawei Technologies limited, African Finance Corporation, and Bergman Security Consultant and Supply limited as 1st to 9th defendants respectively.
The Judge subsequently fixed June 28 for a hearing in the matter.
