Tobacco Suit: Phillip Morris Accused of Evading Service

Source from:  thisdayonline.com By Godwin Haruna, 06.20.2008 06/20/2008

Legal theatrics in the N2.7 trillion suit between Lagos State government and six tobacco companies continued yesterday, with the claimants complaining that Switzerland-based Phillip Morris International, is still evading court summons service. Lagos instituted the action to seek compensation over the health impacts of cigarette smoking on Lagosians. Philip Morris is one of the defendants in the suit in which the state is also asking for damages from British American Tobacco (Nigeria) Limited, International Tobacco Limited, British American Tobacco Plc, British American Tobacco Investment limited and the Tobacco Institute. At the resumed hearing at the Lagos High Court, lead counsel to the state government and former Attorney General, Professor Yemi Oshinbajo, told Justice Bukola Adebiyi that the company has refused to accept court summons. The case has been adjourned till September 16, 2008, for hearing. In previous rulings, the court ordered that the summon be dispatched to the company. The case was first initiated by the state government on April 30, 2007, in which it accused the defendants of directly marketing and selling cigarettes to youths and underaged in the state. The state is seeking an order restraining the tobacco companies from selling any tobacco product within a 1000 metre radius of any school, playground or where young people congregate in the state and N2.7 trillion for special, generative, punitive and anticipatory damages. Before adjourning, Justice Adebiyi said the summon should be routed through the Swiss High Commission in Abuja, for onward dispatch to Phillip Morris in Switzerland. Apart from Lagos, three other states, Oyo, Kano and Gombe have instituted similar suits against tobacco companies. Enditem