Local News
Ikeja High Court Orders Oshodi LGA To Pay #1m Compensation To Motorist.
An Ikeja High Court has ordered Oshodi Local Government Area (LGA) of Lagos to pay N1Million compensation to a motorist, Mr Louis Idahosa for extorting him of N28,000 for allegedly driving against traffic (one-way).
Delivering judgment, Justice Obafemi Adamson said that local governments lack the constitutional power to impound vehicles and to inflict traffic related penalties on road users.
The judge said that threatening, harassing and extorting N28,000 from Idahosa by Oshodi LGA officials and impounding his vehicle under the guise that he drove “one-way” was illegal.
Justice Adamson noted that the applicant’s fundamental human rights as enshrined in Sections 34, 36, 41(1) and 44 the 1999 Constitution was breached by Oshodi LGA.
The judge ordered the LGA to refund the Idahosa of the N28,000 and gave an injunction restraining Oshodi LGA from harassing road users.
“An Order is hereby granted directing the respondents (Oshodi LGA) to refund to the applicant (Idahosa) N28,000 which was extorted from him under the guise that he drove one-way without affording him fair hearing.
“An Order of perpetual injunction is hereby granted restraining the respondent or its agents from harassing, threatening or arresting motorists or road users for traffic offences, imposing fines and impounding vehicles.
“Doing so is ultra vires (beyond legal power or authority) their powers outlined under the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended),” Justice Adamson said.
In addition to the N1million compensation awarded in favour of the applicant for breaching his right to a fair hearing and freedom of movement, Justice Adamson also awarded a cost of N100,000 against the counsel for Oshodi LGA, Mr L. O Mazoke.
Idahosa had via his counsel, Mr Emmanuel Eze filed a fundamental human rights suit dated Sept. 3, 2019 against Oshodi LGA.
According to Eze, Idahosa on Aug. 28, 2019 while being driven by his driver in his Toyota Corolla car with registration number KRD551CZ along Oyetoyo St., in front of the Oshodi/Isolo LGA, they were accosted by six men who were not in uniform.
“They stopped and arrested Idahosa and his driver insisting the driver contravene traffic laws by driving one-way and were taken into the LGA office.
“Idahosa insisted that any crime had been committed, he and his driver should be arraigned in court.
“Officials of the respondent did not agree to an arraignment but resorted to harassing, intimidating and threatening them with continuous detention.
“The applicant was forced to pay N28,000 into the respondents treasury.
“He however discovered that only N25,000 was written on the receipt issued and upon enquiry, he was informed that the outstanding N3,000 was gate pass fee,” Eze said.
Oshodi LGA in court documents however denied extorting Idahosa noting that the persons who arrested and extorted the applicant and his driver were not staff of the LGA.
The LGA also noted that it did not authorise anyone to extort money from the applicant.
COV/WAHAB AKINLADE
The Federal Bureau of Intelligence, FBI, has rejected the application by an American, Jeffrey Guterman, a retired American mental health counsellor, asking it to release a file on Nigeria’s President-elect Bola Tinubu.
Guterman, in a tweet disclosing the development on Friday, said his request was rejected because, according to the FBI, “the existence of files on third-party individuals would neither be confirmed nor denied by the FBI due to unwarranted invasion of personal privacy.”
Recall that the retired mental health counsellor had last month filed a request asking the FBI to release records about Tinubu’s $460,000 forfeiture on drug trafficking in the US.
However, the FBI told Guterman that his request submission did not meet their terms of service.
He wrote, “See below a copy of the letter I received today from the @FBI regarding my request, based on the Freedom of Information Act, for the FBI file on Bola Tinubu.
“My request was rejected because, according to the FBI, the existence of files on third-party individuals will neither be confirmed nor denied by the FBI due to unwarranted invasion of personal privacy.
“I found it noteworthy that in my online submission, I referred to Tinubu as “Bola Tinubu,” but in their letter, the FBI referred to him as TINUBU, BOLA AHMED. How would the FBI access the Ahmed part of his name? Again, I did not provide the Ahmed part of his name in my submission. Moreover, it is public knowledge that the FBI has a file on Tinubu for his $460,000 forfeiture to the US.
“The letter also states that if I received their response through standard mail (which I did), this is because my online submission did not meet their terms of service. According to the letter, my options are to (1) submit any questions by email or call their office, (2) administratively appeal their decision within 90 days of the date of their letter, and/or (3) seek dispute resolution by email.
“I will now consider my next plan of action.”
Residents of Olosan Community in Leme, Abeokuta, in Ogun State have been living in anxiety since armed robbers informed them of a planned visit to their homes.
The robbers communicated their intention to the residents by pasting notices on walls around the community.
They warned of dire consequences if the police are informed.
In the notice, the gang, which described itself as ‘Oga Oga’ meaning ‘ master of masters,’ threatened to kill residents who fail to keep money for them (robbers) during the impending robbery.
The notice read: ‘Important notice to residents of Olosan community.
‘We the boss of bosses are coming to greet you in no distance time , if you like, you an report to the police, that does not concern us. Whoever we visit and refuse to give good amount of money to us, shall be killed or the person might even lose both money and his life.’
‘Help beg the robbers’
Since the notice was pasted, residents have been anxious, returning home early and locking their doors by 8 p.m.
The Community Development Association also engaged vigilante groups who patrol at night. Some of the residents have also engaged guards to keep watch on their homes and properties.
The chairman of the community, who identified himself as Alhaji Ajetokun, said the notice by the unknown robbers took them unawares.
He said police have been informed and the area is being patrolled at night by a police team.
“In the morning we saw the notice posted around our area on walls and we became worried and as a result we have reported to the police and they have been patrolling this environment together with our landlords.
“Please help us beg them (the robbers), we don’t have money, please. We do not suspect anyone at the moment but they should please let us continue to live our lives in peace.”
Efforts to get the state police spokesperson, Abimbola Oyeyemi, to speak on the matter were unsuccessful as he neither picked his calls nor responded to text messages sent to his phone.
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