Assault: Bash Ali KO Sport Minister Dalung, As Court Awards N28m Damages To Him In Abuja

ISRAEL TAIWO

World Boxing Federation (WBF) cruiserweight champion, Nigerian Bashiru Lawrence Ali, (OON),  was Tuesday awarded a compensation of N20 million and his lawyer got N8 million from the Sports Minister, Barrister Solomon Dalung over an assault case instituted by the boxer against him.

Bash Ali in February this year took the Minister to Kubwa High Court 23 in Abuja alleging that the Minister instructed his aide to assault him and beat him up.

The judgement of the case was delivered Tuesday by Justice B. Kawu who ordered that Dalung should pay the world boxing champion the sum of N20 as damages for the infringement on his fundamental human rights, while the judge also ordered that the sports minister would offset the fee of the litigation which is N8m.

Speaking after the judgement, Bash Ali who is busy preparing for the Guinness Book of World Record championship which is scheduled to take place in Nigeria very soon told PM EXPRESS that he has much confidence in the judiciary system of Nigeria, applauding the courage of Justice Kawu throughout the month-long trial.

“Nobody is above the law, ” the Edo State born ageless pugilist told PM EXPRESS during a telephone interview Tuesday evening, saying that “my dream is to see every Nigerian feel free and be treated like first class citizen. Sincerely I’m not interested in the money, what I will do is to give members of the Local Organising Committee who were with me when Dalung’s people were assaulting me part of the money, while the balance will be donated to my dear President, Muhammadu Buhari for making me proud with his style of governance. Buhari is a good man who loves this country. He is a honest man we get in power.

“It is high time people we put in power stop abusing this power because they derive it from the same people who put them there.
“I’m so happy because the case is not about the money I demanded for but about my principle. I don’t want the money, I want the Guinness Book of World Record to write the name of Nigeria and mine in the history book. My target is to make money from the fight and for my country, ” said Bash Ali who holds a chieftancy title of Ajagungbade of Ibadan land.

His lawyer, Ben Nasagha told PM EXPRESS that the judgement vindicated their position of what the aides of the sports minister did to Bash Ali on 13 February, adding that the court is the last hope of the common man.
“This is Bash Ali who had conquered the world, somebody we should celebrate, but he is now being conquered by a society who should honoured him with this action of a whole Sports Minister of our dear country. They denied the assault but the court heard the truth and the judgement today has vindicated us.

“I must commend the judge for his bravery and not being intimidated for condemning the action of Solomon Dalung and his aides, ” he said.