From Musa Muhammad Kutama, Calabar
The Court of Appeal sitting in Owerri, Imo State, has ordered the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) to pay ₦10 million in damages to Dr. Emmanuel Shebbs Ugochukwu, a lecturer at Abia State University (ABSU), over the unlawful seizure of his driver’s licence by its officials.
A three-man panel of the appellate court, led by Justice Amina Audi Wambai, ruled that the FRSC officers’ actions along Bende Road in Umuahia were not only illegal and abusive, but also violated the fundamental rights of the academic.
According to court documents and statements by Dr. Ugochukwu, the incident occurred during a routine stop by FRSC officials, where he was found to have all required documents and safety items, including a spare tyre and fire extinguisher. However, one of the officers allegedly solicited a bribe.
“I told them I was heading to the market and needed to withdraw cash from the ATM. I had no cash on me, so literally, I had no ‘something’ to give,” Ugochukwu told the court.
The encounter escalated when the officials allegedly re-inspected his vehicle and fabricated new offences such as “worn-out tyre” or “no spare tyre” before seizing his driver’s licence and demanding a ₦3,000 fine.
Rather than pay the bribe or reach out to influential contacts — including former students in government and law enforcement — the lecturer said he opted to pursue justice through legal channels.
“I remembered the many Nigerian youths who neither had connections nor ID cards, those who couldn’t afford to ‘pay their way out’ of an abusive law enforcement system,” he said.
The High Court had initially awarded ₦30 million in damages in Ugochukwu’s favour. However, the appellate court, while upholding the ruling that the FRSC violated his rights, reduced the compensation to ₦10 million in a unanimous judgment.
The decision is being hailed by civil rights advocates as a landmark judgment against impunity by law enforcement agencies and a step toward restoring public confidence in the justice system.
