Court Orders FRSC, Police To Return Whistleblower’s Car, Phone After Expose

An Ondo State Court has ordered the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) and the Nigerian police to return the car and other personal items of a Nigerian man, Emmanuel Ajibade.

Naijaonpoint understands that Ajibade’s personal items were seized following his exposé of a patrol vehicle belonging to the FRSC operating with a worn-out tyre.

Speaking to SaharaReporters on Wednesday morning, Ajibade’s lawyer revealed that the court had ordered the release of Ajibade’s personal effects.

A source privy to the incident said Ajibade was arrested by security operatives after exposing FRSC’s misconduct.

During the court proceedings, Ajibade’s lawyer explained the state of the case.

He said: “The police are not ready for trial today (Wednesday). But they were pleading for another day to oblige us with proof of evidence. Despite our consistent demands for proof of evidence.

“From our part, we are ready for trial. And we could not allow today to go like that. So we had to apply for the release of all the items; the car impounded by the road safety, the phone and eyeglasses recovered from my client. So I asked the court to order the police and the road safety corps to release them.

“When I applied for the release, I referred to sections 310 and 306, 229(2) of the Ondo State Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015. The court equally heard the objection from the police and the road safety corps. They raised an objection as regards to the car. They claimed it was impounded. They alleged that there was a fine on it. And I replied on point of law that if there is any fine, I was there at their station and asked that they should tell me the amount my client should pay for the car, so that we could pay and show the court the amount we paid and the proof of payment. They denied us the payment.

“They denied us the opportunity. And I said the state commander is at the court to testify to that.

“So they denied us that opportunity, and we had to express our grievance to the court. And the court said they have no right to impound the car; rather, we should pay the fine, and they should release the car.

“The fine is for not using a seat belt, and even though there is no proof for that. But we still allowed them to let us pay the fine first and have access to our car. And if we see our car damaged, we won’t allow that.

“I later made another application that the IPO must be present during the car’s release to assess its current state and the phone’s content to determine whether it has been wiped out.

“The FRSC is the nominal complainant, and the police are the ones prosecuting the matter. We are planning to get the phones and other properties by 3 pm today (Wednesday), and maybe tomorrow we will get the car after the fine.”