The management of London Line Transport Company Ltd, whose business premises was recently stormed by the Benue State Assets Recovery Committee has petitioned Governor Hyacinth Alia demanding the return of the 32 carted vehicles and payment of N5billion damages.
Recalled that the State Assets Recovery Committee had on July 11, 2023 stormed the workshop of London Line along Otukpo Road in Makurdi where they towed the said vehicles which they allegedly claimed belonged to the state government.
The petition to the Governor dated July 14, 2023, signed by the Chief Executive Officer of London Line Transport Ltd, Chief Emmanual Viashima, and made available to newsmen in Makurdi, was copied the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, National Human Rights Commission, the Inspector General of Police, Commissioner of Police Benue State Command, the President Nigerian Bar Association Abuja, Chairman Nigerian Bar Association Makurdi, Secretary to the Benue State Government, Chairman Assets Recovery Committee, and the Tor Tiv.
Viashima in the petition lamented that officials of the committee forcefully broke into his premises in a gestapo style, harassed alarmed workers who had started recording the invasion and seized some of their phones which were later returned, took stock of vehicles therein and carted them away.
He stated that “upon being informed of the development, he rushed to the scene to make sense out of the entire chaotic scenario and to my utter disbelief, I was locked out of the premises and refused entry.
“Shocked by the action of the committee, I quickly reached out to my Landlords and lawyers who later arrived the scene, gained entry and upon enquiry, we were 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.
“My lawyers raised issues on the gestapo invasion against the practice and procedure of executing Search Warrants which demands a search of the officers seeking to carry out the search to forestall planting of incriminating exhibits.
“And inspite of the fact that the purported search warrant was patently, latently and inherently defective as it was not directed towards any named person or entity on the face of the said document which made its
authenticity contestable, my team rendered all forms of assistance to
ensure that there was minimal rancour.”
He noted that despite the information by his team to the Committee that the vehicles belonged to companies and individuals, the Committee mobilized persons to line up the vehicles in a convoy to be videoed, thereby setting up his business for maximum damaging publicity which would impact negatively on the genuine business of the company.
He said since the incident, the social media space and main stream media had been awash with the false impression that vehicles belonging to the Benue State Government and taken away by former Governor Samuel Ortom were stashed in the company’s premises.
Chief Viashima described as uncalled for, “the manner press men and crowd of fierce looking thugs occupied both the main premises and surroundings of the company while the operation lasted.”
While lamenting the negative impacting of the social media and conventional media publications on the issue, Viashima said that the company was already experiencing immediate consequences and direct fall out of the negative publicity as a result of the invasion.
He pointed out that “contrary to claims by the Asset Recovery Committee that 30 vehicles were towed away from my premises, the number of vehicles forcefully taken away from my company by the committee is 32.”
While debunking claims that all the vehicles carted away as well as the workshop belonged to former Governor Samuel Ortom, he disclosed that the premises is only owned by his landlords, Oracle Business Ltd “but London Line Transport Company Ltd has been
in lawful occupation of the premises on lease where it carries out repairs and refurbishment services for many years to a wide range of clients, including the Benue State Government as records would bear.”
Vershima lamented that his wife’s Lexus 250 was terribly destroyed by the Committee in the process of forcibly tying and towing it away and proceeded to to itemize each of the 32 vehicle carted away, their owners and vehicle particulars.
According to him, “it is in the light of the foregoing that I petition your good office to look into the issues I have raised herein with the mindset to erase the erroneous impression created in the minds of the public, order a release of the vehicles seized as well as payment of N5billion damages by the Benue State Government in view of the economic impact of my losses to enable me mitigate the said losses and jumpstart my crumbled business.”
