Author: oduduwanews

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.

Lagos State Government, through its Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, on Tuesday signed a Memoranda of Agreement (MOA) with Ikeja Electric and Sahara Power Group to increase power supply and provide uninterrupted power to residents of the State.

The agreement between Lagos State Government and the energy firms signed will also include distribution of free prepaid meters to low income areas, with the pilot phase of 20,000 meters to be distributed in Alimosho Local Government Area of the State.

Speaking during the signing of the agreement at the Lagos State Secretariat, Alausa, the Commissioner for Energy and Mineral Resources, Mr. Olalere Odusote, said the aim of the agreement is to increase power supply to at least 22 hours daily, from about eight to 12 hours daily.

The Commissioner said the implementation would start immediately, adding that Lagos State Government has identified a number of feeders that can provide power in 20,000 low income areas with plans to replicate the initiative across the state.

He said: “This Memoranda of Agreement is to ensure the provision of uninterrupted power to residents, especially the low income areas. It is also part of efforts to solve the problem of metering and infrastructure deficit to ensure these areas get power supply which is also measurable.

“The 20,000 meters have been procured by the state government and would be distributed free to low income areas in Alimosho Local Government Area as the pilot phase. Our intention is to replicate this gesture in other areas of the state once the pilot phase is successfully executed.

“We have identified a number of feeders that can provide power in these communities and implementation would start immediately.”

Also speaking, the Managing Director of Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company (IKEDC), Folake Soetan expressed the firm’s readiness to support Lagos State Government in ensuring uninterrupted power supply to residents of the State.

In his address, the Managing Director of Sahara Power Group, Anthony Youdeowei, said his company will be transparent in its dealings with the Lagos State Government and Ikeja Electric to provide power supply for Lagosians.

One of the hotels invaded by the operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Monday in Ogun State has accused the agency of harassing their guests.

Idowu Mosope, the hotel’s compliance officer, told journalists in Abeokuta on Tuesday the operatives of the commission threatened their staff at gunpoint.

Mr Mosope said the operatives, numbering about 25 and fully armed, stormed the hotel in “a commando-like manner,” went to the hotel’s front office and threatened workers, at gunpoint, to lead them to the CCTV.

He also said the operatives went to the hotel’s server room and seized their gadgets and DVR.

“After that, they collected hotel master cards, they did not allow our staff to lead them, they were opening the rooms one after the other with the master cards,” he added.

The operatives of the anti-graft agency had stormed some hotels in Abeokuta in the early hours of Monday and arrested 56 lodgers who they claimed were suspected internet fraudsters.

The EFCC in a statement on Tuesday accused hotel owners of providing an enabling environment for internet fraudsters and blocking their operatives from arresting them.

Mr Mosope said some of their lodgers lamented that “the EFCC operatives forcefully entered their rooms and met many of them naked,” adding that the guests had threatened to press charges against the hotel over the invasion.

He said the operatives went away with three guests who arrived in Nigeria from Dubai.

He also faulted how the EFCC operatives carried out their operations, adding that they stormed the hotel at 3 a.m.

“They invaded the privacy of these guests without allowing our staff to guide them in line with the international standard and hotel practices. That was not what they told us during the training,” he said.

“They did not knock. they did not spend more than 20 minutes here, it is like they are tracing somebody. If they had told us, we would have shown them and other guests would not have known. They opened all the rooms and some guests were naked. They were scared.

“Now, the guests want to sue the hotel and not the EFCC. They said why did we allow their privacy to be intruded on? Why did we give them master cards? We did not say they should not work. Our boss hates anything like internet fraud. We don’t take them (fraudsters) in.”

Mr Mosope said the EFCC operatives entered all the 15 rooms in the hotel before taking away the three guests.

“The guest came in on Saturday with his pregnant wife from Dubai and two of his friends. We collected his profile when he came and kept it.

“On his luggage, we called the police because the EFCC did not take his luggage away and his wife left the second day. We called the police and they came to document it before we packed the load so that anytime he comes, we can hand over this luggage to him.

“They should have come with a warrant of arrest of somebody they are tracing, we are partners in progress.

“They have told us that we should cooperate and we are cooperating. Anybody they are tracking should show us so that other people will not be affected. This has given us a bad image. Our reputation has gone bad. This is demarketing on its own.”

The Ondo State Security Network Agency, also known as Amotekun, on Tuesday, arrested three herdsmen and 180 cows for flouting the state government’s anti-open grazing law.

The State Commander of the Corps, Chief Adetunji Adeleye, who disclosed this in Akure, the state capital, said the herders and cows were arrested around Oke Ala Area of Akure.

Adeleye said: “We arrested about 180 cows. They are in our custody as we speak. We intend to release them to the owners after complying with the regulations as contained in the anti-open grazing law.

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“We have also detained the three herders arrested with the cows. Their boss has been invited and is around now, so we are dealing with the boss now.”

Adeleye frowned over the activities of the herders despite the state government ban and signing of the anti-open grazing law.

“We have a number of herders here with us and we are making them comply with the enacted law which stipulates a penalty for defaulting herders.

“The position of the law is that, if they choose to go to court, we would implement the law as it was stated, which stipulates the minimum of N100,000 fine or three years imprisonment.

“In most cases, you would see them pleading that such a thing would not happen again. We have also implored the leadership of Miyetti Allah to educate their members that the anti-open grazing law of Ondo State is fully in place.”

The Amotekun boss further explained that the state government would take a stronger step in sanctioning second-time violators after checking records.

“When it is done the second time, the person would go to court to face the full weight of the law.”

It will be recalled that the state governor, Mr Rotimi Akeredolu recently signed the anti-open grazing bill into law and the Amotekun Corps has since been enforcing the law.