A High Court sitting in Warri, Delta State on Tuesday ordered the Nigeria Police force to pay as compensation the sum of N10million to a commercial car driver, Matthew Oboroh for infringing on his fundamental rights.
The police were said to have taken possession of his car without compensation.
Barr. Blessing Ahwinahwi, Counsel to the Plaintiff, Matthew Oboroh, told DAILY POST in Asaba that her client, Oboroh’s car was stolen along Jakpa road, Effurun in 2015 when he went to worship at a popular New Generation Church.
The counsel said: “my client (Oboroh) lodged a complaint about his stolen car at the Ekpan Police Station with the hope of the police searching for his stolen car, but this was not to be as the car was rather seen by its owner (Oboroh) while he was travelling to Sapele town at the ever busy Effurun roundabout.
“The police from Ekpan police station were using the car for security patrol, and the inscription “Operation Ekpan Area” was boldly written on both sides of the body of the car.”
Barr. Ahwinahwi further disclosed that his client (Oboroh) was able to recognize the stolen car, which had a new police car registration numbers but still had the same colour at as when it was stolen.
With the shock discovery, the said Oboroh was said to have politely approached the policeman from Ekpan Police Station who were using the ill-gotten car in search of criminals, and humbly told them that the car which they were using was his car, and that the car was stolen in 2015.
He was accordingly asked to go to the Ekpan Police Station where he logged a complaint about his stolen car, and on getting to the said police station, Oboroh was told that the stolen car was actually recovered by the police in 2016, and that he could only repossess his car on the payment of N150, 000, including the sum of money that was being demanded for the cost of the expenses incured by the police in maintaining his recovered car.
Seeing that the demand by the police was an infringement on his fundamental human right, the commercial car driver then dcecided to seek the services of lawyer with the hope of having justice in the law court.
But when amicable resolution of the matter failed between both parties, the lawyer, Barr. Blessing Ahwinahwi then took the matter to court where the case was tried, and the police was found guilty of infringing on the fundamental human right of the commercial car driver, Matthew Oboroh by forcefully confiscating his car without paying compensation to him.
Delivering judgment, the presiding judge, Justice Oke Okevowhen said the plaintiff had proven his case beyond reasonable doubt, and there was no cogent objection from the police.
He, therefore, award N10 million against the police in favour of the plaintiff.
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