………As they refused to obey court order, thwarting Nigeria legal system
By Abiodun Awogbemi
Nigerian businessmen have accused a Lebanese construction company of using some unconventional ways to dupe Nigerians as well as thwarting Nigerian judicial system.
According to the two businessmen, Michael Ogunjobi and Abiodun Awogbemi said “We are Nigerians, eking out our living through haulage but our existence was cut short by a Lebanese construction company, Hajiag Construction Company with head office at 60, Hadeja Road, Kano, Kano state and the south west regional office at 7, UAC Crescent, Onireke, GRA, Ibadan and a construction yard at Unique Estate, Ado Ekiti Road, Ifaki Ekiti and an office in 11, Vall Street off IBB Way, Maitama, Abuja .
“On May 28, 2013, our lorry with registration number, BDK 352XB driven by our driver, Ganiyu Bidemi was destroyed beyond repairs by the lorry of a Lebanese construction company, with registration No XB 914 AKN property of Hajaig Construction Company, driven by the company driver whoiile the lorry was going in the front suddenly the Hajiag truck rolled back while ascending the hill towards Itapa Ekiti and hit our lorry that waited for the vehicle to climb the hill, this led to the death of a Nigerian, Mrs Osawitan Mojisola, aged 56 years while five others, Ganiyu Bidemi, Mrs Funke, Wale Oke, and Seun Ayantokun sustained various degrees of injuries and disability.
The Divisional Police Headquarters, Oye Ekiti, Ekiti State who visited the scene of the accident towed both vehicles to their station while those injured were rushed to the Federal medical Center, Ido Ekiti, Ekiti State and the body of Mrs Osawitan was deposited at the morgue.
After the initial deposit at Federal Medical Center (FMC), Ido Ekti, Hajaig representative, Mr Segun did not show up again to settle the hospital bills which led to the hospital management to delay the discharge of Mrs Funke for her inability to settle the hospital bills despite our various calls and visit to the company with police officers from Oye Divisional Headquarter led by Sgt Jimoh, the company representative later told us that he was told to stop relating to us or any other person on the issue again and told us that, that’s the company modus operandis, as there are many cases like that because the company latches on the vulnerabilities of Nigerians and the system.
The company dribbled the family of the deceased, Mrs Osawitan, and four others, Mrs Funke Master Bidemi Ganiu, Master Wale Ojelere, and Master Seun Ayantokun, that sustained various degrees of injury without any compensation harping on their vulnerability to seek for justice as they could not pay the services of the lawyer they contacted.
After our several visit to the company site along Ifaki-Iworoko/Ado road, the Hajiag representative went to the police station to negotiate and promised that the company was ready to settle all outstanding bills incurred at the hospital and compensate the children of Mrs Osawitan and others as well as replace our damaged vehicle and thereby signed a bond at the police station and took both vehicles to their yard at Unique Estate, Ado Ifaki Road, Ekiti State..
We requested the company to produce the vehicle insurance cover to indemnify the loss, but it was discovered that none of their vehicles had any registered particulars. After several visit with police officer, Sergeant Adebayo Jimoh to the company requesting for the fulfillment of their promise and bond, one of the company representative, a Lebanese, who claimed to be a chieftaincy title holder in Ifaki and Saki, claimed that he is conversant with all Nigeria legal system as it will only cost them to give any Judge N100,000 to thwart the case with several injunctions.
After several visit to the company with no positive attention and response, we wrote the company to start paying the sum of N200,000 weekly been the average weekly income of the vehicle when operational, until when they are able to fulfill their promise, which was accepted and signed (accepted as exhibit), after several visit again without any positive action, we then sought the services of Afe Babalola Chambers to help us reclaim our right from Hajaig Construction Company.
According to the Divisional Police Headquarter, Oye Ekiti in its report “a fatal motor accident occurred on the 28th May 2013 at about 1800hrs at Oye Ekiti in Oye Local government involving one Leyland lorry with registration No BDK 352XB driven by one Ganiyu Bidemi ‘M’ of Iyana Ipaja Lagos State and a tipper lorry with registration No XB 914 AKN property of Hajaig Construction Company, Ifaki Ekiti driven by unknown driver while going in the front suddenly rolled back while ascending a hill and hit the claimants lorry that was following behind in which a Osawitan Mojisola ‘F’ aged 56 years died while five others suffers various degrees of injuries and the claimant’s vehicle got damaged”
The Police invest
