Soldier sued for using hired lorry to transport contraband

A lorry owner, Oluwatosin Adebanjo, has instituted a case of
criminal intimidation against one Captain Ezemegbu of the 23rd
Armoured Brigade, Yola, Adamawa State.

He is praying an Adamawa State Magistrates’ Court in Yola to
compel the captain to take steps to retrieve his vehicle detained
by the Cameroonian authorities about six months ago for conveying
banned items..

The plaintiff also want the release of his worker detained
alongside the lorry.

The military officer was said to have hired the lorry through
his business agent, one Isa Muhammed, for the transportation of
Madrid woods which was intercepted along the Cameroonian borders by
gendarmes.

Already, Adebanjo‘s lawyer, Reliance Law Chambers, has written
to the Brigade Commander, 23 Armoured Yola, about the suit
instituted against Ezemegbu.

The letter read, “Captain Ezemegbu used our client’s lorry to
smuggle some contraband goods to Cameroon which was intercepted
along the Cameroonian border by the Cameroonian authorities.

“Our client took step to approach the family of Isa Mohammed for
modalities of getting our client’s lorry released, but Isa
Mohammed’s family told our client that Captain Ezemegbu is the
owner of the business, and that Mohammed is just his agent.

“Our client further made some inquiries from the Cameroonian
authorities for the procedure of bailing his vehicle and he was
told that he must pay a fine of N1.8m.

“Our client approached Captain Ezemegbu and told him to provide
the money for the release of the tipper, but to no avail.”

Explaining his predicament to Northern City News, Adebanjo said
the vehicle was his only means of livelihood, adding that he had
incurred N1.4m trying to recover the vehicle.

“I have already spent more than N1.4m trying to secure the
release of my vehicle and workers.

“My vehicle was captured with seven workers; one is my worker
and the remaining six persons work for the officer; My contact
informed me that one of the workers had already died in Cameroonian
jail,” he explained.

According to Adebanjo, he was deceived that the cargo was being
taken to Ladan Sheta town in Adamawa State, adding that Ezemegbu
agreed to pay only N750,000 for the release of the lorry.

“The lawyer I approached for help requested that I should pay
N50,000 for their services which I did. The captain agreed to pay
N750,000, telling me to pay N100,000 to secure the release of my
vehicle.

“I agreed and paid the amount to a designated account made
available to me by the lawyer; I have not seen my money, and he has
not been taken to court,” Adebanjo lamented.