AN aggrieved vehicle owner has demanded the sum of N2 billion from the Directorate of Road Traffic Services (DRTS), Mabushi, Abuja as damages for an alleged “illegal detention” and damages to his car as well as alleged unlawful “abduction and detention” of his children on October 12, 2021, after the car was stopped along the Bullet Junction in Abuja and forcibly towed.
The aggrieved, an Abuja-based lawyer, Dr Okpeh S. Alleh Esq, in the letter addressed to the Head, Vehicle Inspection Office, Directorate of Road Traffic Services, Mabushi, Abuja, FCT, is also demanding for the refund of the sum of N10,000 which was forcefully extorted from him for the towing of his car; N30,000 as cost replacement of the car’s headlight damaged in the course of towing it, N3,000 as cost of the car’s missing wheel cover, and N20,000 being cost replacing the thyroids and bushings of around the front wheels of the car.
He is therefore asking the DRTS to meet all these demands, which also included a public apology to be tendered to him and his children within one month from the date of receipt of the letter.
The letter, signed by Alleh’s counsel of Alleh Okpeh Alleh (Obiye Law Office), John Otanwa Esq., Edward Obagwu and Theresa Iduh, and copied the DRTS officers who allegedly committed the offences, Mr. Jacob David and Madam Blessing Ehi, and entitled: “Re-Notice of Intention to Seek Legal Redress for Illegal Detention of Vehicle Number LND 866 AT Belonging to Dr Okpeh Alleh Esq, Forceful Toying and Damaging of Same Vehicle and Unlawful Abduction, Detention And Violation of Two Minors, Obiye Alleh (17) and Otela Alleh (15) By Your Staff Jacob David and Blessing Ehi at Bullet Junction Abuja On The 12th Day Of October 2021: A Demand for Payment of N2 Billion Naira Damages and Tendering of Public Apology,” reads:
“We are Solicitors to Dr Okpeh, S. Alleh Esq., Miss Obiye Alleh, and Master Otela Alleh on behalf of whom we write this notice and who we shall refer to herein as OUIR CLIENTS for the purpose of this letter.
We humbly write to intimate your office on the Notice of Intention of Our Clients to proceed to seek legal redress relying on the information supplied to our office.
“Our first Client Dr. Okpeh S. Alleh Esq. informed us that on the 12th day of October, 2021, he was driving along the Bullet junction Abuja, when your staff mentioned above, flagged him down and he respectfully parked as directed. Our Client was asked to bring his driving licence and he appropriately submitted his duly renewed licence, the production of which is being addressed at the Federal High Court, Abuja.
“However, instead of respecting the content of the Court Processes and the Licence as renewed, all of which were duly given to them, the said staff forcefully towed the vehicle with his two children sandwiched in the vehicle by them and taken to a place not disclosed to him.
“Our first Client informed us that it was after he has gone to several of your offices that he discovered that his two children were towed, abducted and detained at the Eagle Square Office of the VIO parked in the sun and locked with the children inside the vehicle without food or water from morning till the evening that he came to discover them.
“Our first Client, who took custody of his children after they were released to him upon been forced to pay a toying fee of N10,000:00 (Ten Thousand Naira) has to take them for medical examination for exhaustion and trauma in the hospital. He also discovered that the front legs of his vehicle, as well as the bonnet were damaged, the right side head light broken, and the right fore wheel cover removed in the course of the forceful towing which he has to repair at a mechanic workshop.
“Based on the forgoing information that has caused so much a damage to Our first Client and his children, it is the directive of Our Client that we demand the payment of N2 Billion Naira to the three of them for the illegal detention of his vehicle, unlawful abduction and detention of the second and third Clients and the damages done to his vehicle in the course of the forceful towing and a public apology tendered to them within a period of one month from the date of receipt of this letter.
“Our Client is also demanding the refund of the sum of N10, 000: forcefully extorted from him for the towing of the vehicle, N30,000 as cost of replacement for the damaged headlight, N3, 000.00 cost of the removed wheel cover, and the payment of N20,000 which he used in repairing the damages to the front wheels by replacing the thyroids, and the bushings of his vehicle.
“Thus, it is our firm demand that your office do the needed response within the given period hence failure to do so will leave our office with no option but to take every legal step appropriate in effecting the redress of the violations of them with appropriate claims that will assuage those damages.”
