Soldier sued for using hired lorry to transport contraband

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.]]>