Oyeyemi was said to be sad and shocked at the photo of
citizen Ozor in coma taken at the scene of his massive beating and condemned
the way Ozor was battered, intimidated and maltreated by officers paid by tax
payers money and vowed to get at the root of the matter.
He therefore ordered the Zonal Commanding Officer, Federal Road Safety Corps, Zone
RS2 Command Headquarters, Lagos, Assistant
Corps Marshal Nseobong Akpabio, MON to investigate
the incident and report back to his office within 24 hours.
A
press statement from office of the FRSC media intelligence and strategic
officer attached to the office of the Corps Marshall/CEO of Federal road
safety, Corps Commander Bisi Kazeem confirmed the order to newsmen.
The Petition to the Core Marshall and Chief Executive of FRSC, and
the Comptroller General of Customs, Col Hameed Ibrahim Ali Rtd was written by
Counsel to Citizen George Ozor, Kachi J. Bielu Esq of Kachi J. Bielu and
Associates, Barrister and Solicitors of the Supreme court of Nigeria based in
Awka Anambra state.
He condemned the display of brazen act of lawlessness and use of
naked force in maltreating and intimidating a driver of the ANIDS bus, Mr.
George Ozor who was beaten to coma and nearly killed him in the premises of the
Unit at the toll gate.
The FRSC officials and Customs officials dragged out Citizen Ozor
from his vehicle and beat him up after rolling over flood water severally for
allegedly killing one Mr. Ganiu , an officer of FRSC on duty who ran into him
while pursuing another vehicle though nothing happened to him.
The Ijebuode Unit of FRSC is headed by Mr. Oladimeji Ajakaiye and
efforts to resolve the matter was not successful as FRSC Lagos
Sector Commander, Omeje Hyginus when contacted as a former Anambra boss of FRSC
did not get involved in the case and the driver was not allowed to explain what
happened.
The entire officers of FRSC in the premises and customs at the
customs check point started beating him with belts, sticks, plastic seats and
inflicting injuries on his body with their guns.
Meanwhile, the lawyer to Citizen George Ozor, Kachi J, Bielu
has given pre-action notice for court action to seek redress occasioned by
the excessive beating on Ozor to the FRSC and Nigerian Customs.
He sought s declaration of court that it is illegal and unlawful
for the defendants to beat the 2nd plaintiff inflicting injuries all
over his body and declaration of court that the seizure of the 1st
plaintiffs’ bus with Engine No. 85342152 TR, Chasis No. JTGSX 23POD6139379 with
fleet No. 147 and Reg. No. ZBL 904XA did not conform to the due process of law.
Bielu further sought for an order of court directing the
Defendants (FRSC and Nigerian Customs) to pay the plaintiffs the sum of N5
million (5,000,000.00) naira as compensatory and exemplary damages for the
unlawful acts of the defendants and to pay the sum of N50,000.00 (Fifty
Thousand Naira) only daily from the 25/9/2015 till the vehicle is released as
loss of earnings for the number of days the vehicle was datelined.
His petition tagged:
‘’Brutality, Assault occasioning Grievous harm, intimidation, Excessiveness,
vandalism, naked use of power and abuse of office against officers of the FRSC
and Nigerian Customs at Ijebuode unit’’ exposed the callousness of the FRSC and
Customs officials. The petition alleged the officials have destroyed the engine
of the vehicle with salt.
The petition read in part: ‘’It is our instruction that on Friday
the 25th day of September, 2015, the Officers of the Road Safety
Commission and Customs service at Ijebuode Unit in Ogun State displayed a
brazen act of lawlessness and use of naked force in maltreating and
intimidating a driver of the ANIDS bus, Mr. George Ozor. These Officers at
Ijebuode Unit Command, that is, Officers of Federal Road Safety Commission who
mounted road block at the Old toll gate Ijebuode and the Road Safety
commission, nearly killed Mr. George Ozor in the premises of the Unit at the
toll gate.
‘’The
Unfortunate event we humbly invite you to investigate is as follows: Mr. George
Ozor, the driver of ANIDS bus with Engine No. 85342152 TR, Chasis No. JTGSX
23POD6139379 with fleet No. 147 and Reg. No. ZBL 904XA, left Lagos to Onitsha
with full load of passengers.
‘’On approaching the Old toll gate at Ijebuode and was following a
car which the Road Safety officer, Mr. Ganiu was flagging down but who refused
to stop. The Road Safety officer’s attempt to kick the car with his leg was not
successful and the officer fell into the lane of moving vehicle. Mr. George
Ozor, the driver applied break and did everything humanly so as not to
knock down the officer, who is already near his vehicle but the vehicle slightly
touched the officer Mr. Ganiu who fell down.
‘’Immediately, the other Road Safety officers in the team who were
discussing at a corner descended on the driver, brought him out of the vehicle
and led him into the Road Safety Unit premises at Ijebuode headed by Mr.
Oladimeji Ajakaiye. Soon the driver was led into the Road Safety office, the
team of custom officers at the Ijebuode toll gate trooped into the Road Safety
premises to join them in beating Mr. George Ozor. Mr. George Ozor was massively
beating by the Customs and Road Safety officers alleging that the driver killed
Mr. Ganiu, a Road Safety officer. The effort of the driver to explain what
happened did not yield any result as the entire officers of Road Safety and
Customs gave him the beating of his life. The entire officers in the premises
and customs at the customs check point started beating him with belts, sticks,
plastic seats and inflicting injuries on his body with their guns.
‘’When the driver fainted as a result of the beating the officers
rolled the driver into stagnant water in a pothole in the premises and
abandoned him there for several hours. The photograph of the driver in the
premises is annexed. In fact, the fair, tall and huge member of the
Customs officers mounted surveillance on him promising him that he must kill
him before the end of that day.
‘’Shortly a passenger was bold to narrate what happened to people
who gathered at the toll gate, was again dragged into the Road Safety premises
by Customs officers and was beating mercilessly. They further dragged him to
the same pothole until they allowed the passenger to go after a while.
‘’ While the driver was lying on the mud water in the premises of
the Road Safety, he heard the officers discussing with the custom officers,
instructing one of them to go and buy a pack of salt and discharge the content
into the engine of the vehicle. It was after a while that one of them entered
the vehicle and turned on the engine and later left the vehicle.
‘’Relief only came to the driver when the officers that took the
Road safety officer, Mr. Ganiu to Roonax Specialist Hospital, Ijabode in Ogun
state came back to the driver, lifted him and put him in their patrol van and
took him to Ilese Police Station, Ilese in Ogun state. However, on getting to
the Police Station, the Police questioned the rationale behind beating and
assaulting the driver before handing him over to the Police but the officers
were only apologizing to the police.
‘’The driver was detained with the injuries all over his body. In
the morning of Saturday the 26th day of September, 2015, the staff
of BEN FLO LTD in company of Police went to the Roonax Specialist Hospital to
visit Mr. Ganiu, the Road Safety officer and they were informed that he had
long been discharged.
‘’The staff of ANIDS Mass Transit also accompanied the Police to
Road Safety Office to transfer the ANIDS bus packed by the Officers in the
premises, the Officers resisted every attempt made by the Police to retrieve
the vehicle and informed the Staff that they will meet them in Court.
‘’The above impunity is not a typical of what is expected of
officers of the Nigeria Customs Service. It is unfortunate that the officers
have turned themselves a brigand, terror and threat to the society which they
ought to render service to. The officers of Customs service and Road Safety at
Ijebuode unit in Ogun state went all out to unleash the mayhem to an innocent
driver out of shear wickedness, destroyed and vandalized the vehicle belonging
to our client.
‘’For the avoidance of doubt, the officers at Ijebuode unit made a
complaint to the Nigeria Police at Ilese Police Station and vowed not to allow
the Police to investigate the matter. Our client was shocked that between the
25/92015 when the officers of the Commission made the complaint to Ilese Police
Station and Tuesday the 29/09/2015, the officers denied both the Police and our
Client access to Mr. Ganiu whom they took to the hospital and discharged him.
Our client’s vehicle had been in their premises of the Road Safety at Ijabode
in Ogun state since the 25/9/15, under the watch of the Customs officers who
were the persons that discharged the passengers in the vehicle.
‘’It is pertinent at this juncture to inform you that the vehicle
yields about N50,000.00 (Fifty Thousand Naira) only daily to our
client’s company outside the expenses for the trip. We are not in doubt that
the officers who are working in concert with officers of Road Safety knew the
game they are into and that is the reason for rebuffing every meaningful
attempt to resolve the issue amicably by our client rather they insisted that
they will meet our client only in court.
Cometstar Cable Boss kidnap: Achina
Community demands unconditional release of their son
---concludes fasting and praying
session
-----closes shops, market
The entire Achina Community in
Aguata local government area Anambra state yesterday (Sunday) at their various
Churches prayed for God’s intervention in the unconditional release of their
illustrious son Sir James Uzochukwu Uduji.
The Churches spared hours of
intercession and intervention prayers asking God to touch the hearts of his
abductors to release him immediately as his kidnap has brought sorrow and pains
to the Achina community especially widows and the less privileged.
Uduji, Chairman of Cometstar
Manufacturing Company, Agbara Industrial Estate,Agbara,Ogun State, Nigeria
known for producing the best Armoured cable in West Africa was kidnapped
by unknown gunmen in front of his residence at 7th Avenue in FESTAC town, Lagos
a month and four days now.
And on Saturday the entire
Isi-Achina Autonomous community led by its town Union and traditional ruler,
that’s the immediate community of Sir James Uduji known as
Onwagbulugbulu-Aguata in Achina closed markets and shops to pray for God’s
intervention in the release of their illustrious son.
The Isi-Achina Autonomous Community
leaders, widows, men and women including children numbering over 3,000 gathered
at the Isi-Achina Town Union Hall for an interdenominational service to request
for God’s intervention for the release of Sir James Uduji.
They requested President Muhammadu
Buhari, Governors of Lagos state Akinwunmi Ambode and Anambra state , Chief
Willie Obiano respectively to intervene in their immediate release of Sir Uduji
who they described as a peace loving man and creator of jobs, happiness and
saviour of their people.
Officiating priests including Rev
George Echetebe of St Barnabbas Anglican Church, Isi-Achina ; Rev Fr Sabastine
Ejie Mary’s Catholic Church Isi-Achina as well as Pastor Victor
Onyenagolum of Assemblies of God took turns to pray for his immediate and
unconditional release as his kidnap has set back the progress and development
of the community.
As well, prominent citizens of Isi-Achina
Autonomous community including Chief J.C Nwakpadolu , Ikemba Isi-Achina ;
President General of Isi-Achina Barr Pius Ezeonyiwara and Dr Sunday Ezeanyaji,
Secretary General of Isi-Achina Autonomous community noted that the kidnap of
their son has exposed the continued poor security situation in Nigeria and
appealed to Inspector General of Police IGP Arase and commissioner of police
Lagos to facilitate the release of their son as they did former SGF Falae when
he was kidnapped.
Contributing further HRH Igwe Dr
David Ezemokwe ,Obi Idegwu of Isi-Achina Autonomous Community , Sir Edwin
Okpalaibekwe-Treasurer and Vincent Ibekwe –provost insisted kidnapping is worst
than Boko Haram and appealed for immediate stop to kidnapping in Nigeria as it
has scared investors away.
His cousin and Vice President of
Isi-Achina Autonomous Community Simon Uduji in a vote of thanks commended the
people of Isi Achina and entire Achina people for standing with them at their
time of grief adding that God will hear and grant all the prayers made for
release of Sir James Uduji from his abductors while , Nze Isaac Ezeafulukwe ,
Action Photos, President of Umuada Isi-Achina , Mrs Florence Ezenweke reminded
that the good things Sir Udui did for families and community like tarring of
road, drilling of water, empowering youths over 4,000 across Nigeria even in
his company and taking care of widows are enough reasons for God to hear them
and release him from his captors.
Sir Uduji’s abductors have insisted
on collecting $1million or he dies and the minimum the naira equivalent of
their demand is N220million.
But Patriarch of the Uduji family ,
Sir Uche Uduji dismissed the ransom payment saying the figures quoted were
untrue and figment of the reporters imagination. He insisted that they were
still negotiating with the abductors of their son, but refused to disclose the
amount paid but said what the family has offered is not in any way near the one
hundred million naira as reported.
He said that the family has resorted
to prayers that God touches the heart of the abductors to release his brother,
attributing the rising surge of kidnapping to unemployment.
The abductors laid an ambush at 72nd
junction along 7th Avenue at a bad portion of the road close to Uduji’s residence
and as soon as he was sighted, the gunmen deliberately hit his car as in an
accident scenario, which forced the driver to stop to ascertain the extent of
damage but in the process, the gunmen opened fire, shot the driver and drove
off with Sir Uduji to an unknown destination.
The Authority Newspaper reliably gathered that the family coughed out and
handed over N100million cash to the abductors but they insist that the balance
of N120million must be paid or he dies.
Surprisingly, the abductors suggested
that Sir Uduji should send one his family members to come and take his place in
captivity and he will be released so that he would go and source for the
balance.
Reacting, the Lagos state police
command spokesman DSP Joe Offor said that investigation is still ongoing to
ensure the safe return of Sir Uduji.
