How Army Major Impounded Two Vehicles, Other Items At Dealers Market

MICHAEL AKINOLA

A Major in the Nigerian Military, Ahmed Dirisu, reportedly displayed his military prowess on helpless civilians by mobilizing armed military officers to vehicle dealers market, impounding two vehicles with some items and then taking them to the Military Cantonment in Ojo, Lagos.

P.M.EXPRESS reports that the incident happened at the popular Mebamu vehicles dealers market in Ojo area of Lagos where Major Dirisu allegedly dislodged the traders, carted away fairly used Toyota Camry cars, several vehicle keys and forcefully took them to the Ojo Barracks.

Apart from seizing those items, the owners namely Ephraim Uzezi, Larry Kelechi, Rukeme George and others, were not spared as Major Dirisu reportedly assaulted them during the operation.

Since the incident happened on 18th January, 2021, the victims were said to have made every efforts to recover the items to no avail rather they alleged that their lives were been threatened and they went into hiding.

P.M.EXPRESS investigation revealed that Major Dirisu took the decision over a failed business transaction worth N1.5m involving his classmate, one Festus Omuko, who is a car dealer in the market.
He was said to have claimed that since Festus Omuko was a dealer in the market, it was better for him to impound vehicles and demand for his money from the traders, which he did in Commando style.

Following the resistance of the Military Authority to order for the release of the items, the owners have written a petition to the AIG Zone 2 Onikan, Lagos, seeking for the intervention of the AIG to prevail on Major Dirisu to release the seized items.

In a petition dated 25th January, 2021, to the AIG through the Chambers of Lawsuits & Action, located at Ajao Estate, signed by Barrister D. M. Anyama, they asked for the AIG to intervene in the matter.

The petition stated that the clients’ vehicles parked at Adeola Street, Sign Board Bus Stop, Kilometre 22, Badagry Expressway, Ojo, Lagos, were impounded by a group of soldiers on the directive of Major Dirisu of the Army Military Cantonment (Toyota Camry 2003 and 2005). And they unlawfully seized the vehicles including car keys belonging to other vehicles displayed for sales.

It stated that the clients revealed that Major Dirisu had a business transaction with one Festus Omuko and the deal went bad and Dirisu could not recover his money from Festus.It stated that the man in question, Festus Omuko, does not own any of the seized vehicles and keys to other vehicles seized by Major Dirisu or the employees to the clients involved.
It further stated that the impounded vehicles and items do not belong to the clients but were in their care for sales by the owners, who are now terrorizing them.

“Our clients are helpless and attempts to reach out to Major Dirisu resulted in threats to their lives as when Major Dirisu were impounding their vehicles, he brought out his service pistol and threatened to shoot the owners of the vehicles.”
“They are appealing to the Military authority, other security agencies to come to their aid because of the situation they found themselves as Major Dirisu insisted that the owners of the items should bring his money before he would release the items, which do not belong to Festus Omuko.”

It was also gathered that the person involved in the transaction with Army Major, Mr. Festus Omuko, has been arrested by the Police to be handed over to Major Dirisu. But the Army Major has refused to appear insisting that he wants his money from the innocent traders.