Court Gives NDLEA 21 Days To Pay Baba Suwe 25million naira

An Ikeja High Court on Friday  ordered the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) to deposit the N25 million judgment sum awarded in favour of Nollywood Star, Babatunde Omidina (a.k.a Baba Suwe) with the court’s Chief Registrar.

Justice Yetunde Idowu ordered that the deposit should be made within the next 21 days.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the judge had on Nov. 24, 2011 ordered the NDLEA to pay Omidina the money as damages.

The money was to compensate Omidina for his arrest and detention by the agency for nine days without a valid court order.

The court also ordered the agency to publish a public apology to Omidina in two widely read national dailies.

The judge said :``The N25 million is to be deposited with the registrar in an interest-yielding account and in a bank agreed upon by the parties in the suit.

``This should be done pending hearing and determination of the appeal filed by the NDLEA against the court's judgment at the Appeal Court in Lagos.

Idowu, while granting the application of stay of execution of the court's judgment filed by the NDLEA, said the above conditions must be met by the agency.

According to her, leaving the judgment sum to the judgment debtor will ``smack of an unfair advantage’’.

She said the NDLEA had failed to provide sufficient proof of its actual resources and expenditure before the court.

``An order for stay of execution should not be sought to serve as a substitute for the judgment the trial court denied the party," Idowu ruled.

NDLEA’s lawyer, Mr Femi Oloruntoba, had on Dec. 6, 2011 filed an appeal against the judgment at the Appeal Court and on Feb. 8, he also approached the court for a stay of execution of the judgment.

He argued that the judgment of the appellate court would be rendered nugatory should the NDLEA succeed in its appeal if an order of stay was not granted by the lower court.

Oloruntoba said the apology could not be published because it would prejudice their case at the appellate court.

He said the NDLEA was ``impecunious’’ and that paying Omidina the N25 million damages would deprive the agency of funds to perform other vital statutory functions.

Opposing the application, Omidina’s lawyer, Mr Bamidele Aturu, had urged the court to refuse it, saying the court has jurisdiction to entertain the matter and also award the damages.

Aturu urged the court to order the agency to deposit the judgment sum with the Chief Registrar, who in turn, would deposit it in an interest-yielding account. (NAN)

Posted: at 2-03-2012 05:54 PM (12 years ago) | Upcoming

very good

Posted: at 2-03-2012 07:47 PM (12 years ago) | Hero

They should pay

Posted: at 2-03-2012 08:18 PM (12 years ago) | Upcoming

 

Posted: at 2-03-2012 08:48 PM (12 years ago) | Gistmaniac

Good one

Posted: at 2-03-2012 09:07 PM (12 years ago) | Upcoming

Where did u see what u paste here

Posted: at 2-03-2012 09:24 PM (12 years ago) | Upcoming

foolish people.... them no dey C politician wey dey carry all our money go abroad? na guy man wey wan survive dem dey C.....UNA MUST PAY THAT MONEY.BECAUSE NA THAT SAME AIRPORT ALAMESIAH AND IBORI PASS

Posted: at 2-03-2012 09:37 PM (12 years ago) | Newbie

  I don't understand! Why should they pay him? What about all the numerous other innocent victims that encountered thesame problem.. where is their piece of the cake? Or is it because they are nobodies..? 

Posted: at 2-03-2012 10:26 PM (12 years ago) | Newbie

NDLEA or whatever they call themselves don't know their job... Just like efcc yeye when they leave lucky igbinedion and his thieve brothers for street dey waka freely. Make them pay the guy d money.

Posted: at 2-03-2012 10:36 PM (12 years ago) | Newbie

He deserves the money and more. But na our money dem go take pay na.

Posted: at 2-03-2012 10:42 PM (12 years ago) | Gistmaniac