The management of London Line Transport Company Ltd, has petitioned Gov Hyacinth Alia, of Benue, over the invasion of its premises by the state’s Assets Recovery Committee.
The petition was dated July 14, 2023, which signed by the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the transport company, Chief Emmanuel Viashima, was made public on Monday, in Makurdi.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that the letter, which was addressed to Alia, was also copied to the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, the National Human Rights Commission, the Inspector General of Police, and many others.
The petitioner is demanding for N5 billion as general damages from the Benue government.
The petitioner alleged that officials of the committee, led by one Tom Uja, forcefully broke into the company premises, located on Otukpo Road, Makurdi, took stock of vehicles and carted away 32 of them.
The petitioner further alleged that the committee members harassed alarmed workers, who had started recording the invasion, and seized some of their phones, which were later returned.
Viashima also averred that he was later informed that there was a search warrant issued, for the committee to impound any Hilux, Prado and GAC brand of vehicles, as well as any bus found within the premises.
According to him, his lawyers raised concerns over the manner of executing the search warrant, because the law demands a search of officers seeking to carry out the search, to forestall planting of incriminating exhibits.
The CEO said in spite of the fact that the purported search warrant was defective, as it was not directed at any named person or entity on the said document, his employees however, still cooperated with the committee.
He said in spite of the explanation that the vehicles belonged to companies and individuals, the committee still mobilised some persons, lined up the vehicles in a convoy and did a video recording of the cars, thereby bringing his company to disrepute.
Viashima regretted that the media had been abashed with the false impression that vehicles belonging to the Benue State Government, and carted away by former Gov. Samuel Ortom, were stashed in the company’s premises.
He said the company was already experiencing immediate consequences and direct fall out of the negative publicity, as a result of the invasion.
“Our Customers have been coming in droves since the evening of Tuesday, July 11, to drive or tow away their vehicles from our premises on the grounds that it is a hide out for stolen vehicles belonging to the Benue State Government, thinking every vehicle there would be confiscated.
“This is the inevitable corollary of the assault on our premises and the uncharitable summation of our years of hardwork in transferring technical and vocational know-how to our workers, giving jobs to teeming youths, as well as rendering services to the general public.
“The economic loss in the short term has been tremendous, and in the long run, it has all the capacity to make our business collapse totally.”
The petitioner, who supplied the chasis numbers of the vehicles and their owners, further claimed that a total of 32 vehicles were confiscated from the company, and not 30, as claimed by the Asset Recovery Committee.
He debunked the claim that all the vehicles confiscated, as well as the workshop, belonged to Ortom.
According to him, the company premises is owned by Oracle Business Ltd, but London Line Transport Company Ltd is occupying it on lease, where it has been carrying out repairs and refurbishment services for many years, to a wide range of clients, including the Benue State Government, as records will show.
NAN reports that the petitioner listed owners of the vehicles to include: Ortom and wife, Oracle Business Ltd, Prof Iyorwuese Hagher and a host of others. (NAN)
