By Dave Okpogadie, Asaba
The Delta State government has been ordered by the High court to pay De Wayles International Ltd, a Warri based company the sum of five hundred thousand Naira for wrongfully and forcefully sealing up the company.
In a judgement delivered on 14th Day of April, 2022, Justice V. O. Agboje (Mrs) of High Court 4, Warri dismissed as unconstitutional the ex parte judgement obtained against De Wayles International Ltd by the Delta State Revenue Court in favour of Delta State Government, precisely the State’s Internal Revenue Service as the State High Court Judge ruled that, the claimant was not given any opportunity to fair hearing before the judgment to seal the office was given.
It could be recalled that on the 5th of October, 2021, officers of Delta State Internal Revenue Service sealed up the head office of De Wayles International Ltd, Effurun-Warri after a forceful evacuation of all the staff, workers and visitors of the company on the basis of executing the order of the judgment of the Delta State Revenue Court as delivered on the 7th Day of September, 2021.
Prior to the sealing-off and evacuation of the Company’s workers, the Delta State Internal Revenue Service had dragged the Company before the Revenue Court without the knowledge of the Company on the allegation that the De Wayles International Ltd, Efurun was owing Delta State Government the sum of N40, 792,000.00 as ground rent for the State’s IGR for the year ended 2016 and 2017.
Consequent upon the above, De Wayles International Ltd, the claimant being aggrieved by this unlawful sealing of her office and the ex parte judgment made against her by the Delta State Revenue Court sued the Governor of Delta State and the Delta State Internal Revenue Service in an originating summons dated 8th day of October, 2021 instituted by J. O. Aikpokpo-Martins, Esq. on behalf of the company in Warri High Court in Suit No. W/219/2021: De Wayles International Ltd Vs The Governor of Delta State & Delta State Internal Revenue Service as Claimant and Defendants respectively.