A Lagos State High Court in Ikeja has awarded N750,000 damages against the state government for violating a legal practitioner, Lawal Aliyu’s fundamental rights, following the towing of his vehicle and imposed fines by Lagos State Traffic Management Authority without a valid court order.

In a judgment delivered by Justice Olalekan Oresanya, Thursday, in the suit filed by Aliyu against LASTMA, the Lagos State Government, and the state’s Attorney General, the court held that it was unconstitutional for LASTMA to impose fines and tow vehicles of alleged traffic offenders without a valid court order.

Aliyu had filed the suit to challenge the N20,000 fine imposed on him by LASTMA for an alleged traffic offence, and another N10,000 towage fine which he was forced to pay by the traffic enforcement agency.

Justice Oresanya held that “Public authorities and bodies cannot act in a manner that is inconsistent and incompatible with the fundamental rights of citizens as guaranteed by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

On the whole, I give judgment for the applicant in the following terms; I make a declaration that the obstruction, towage, seizure, and impoundment of the applicant’s car with Registration NO. AGL 93 DW on the 23rd November 2021 by the Respondents is unlawful, illegal, and unconstitutional as same amounted to gross violation of the Applicant’s fundamental right to freedom of movement enshrined in Section 41 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended).

“I make a declaration that the imposition and enforcement of LASTMA fine in the sum of N20,000 and LASTMA towing fine in the sum of N10,000, on the applicant without an order of a court of competent jurisdiction is unlawful, illegal and is null and void and the said fines should be paid back by the respondents to the applicant.

“The sum of N750,000 compensatory damages is awarded against the respondents for the violation of the applicant’s fundamental rights,” the court held.

Source
https://punchng.com/lagos-govt-fined-n750000-for-towing-lawyers-vehicle/

Serve them right

Good for them

Good

When you're Rich/Influential in this country, you suffer less 'no cap'

Good precedent.

Good precedent.

Seun front page please.

I like that judgement. When you see this sticker "I be lawyer, trouble be my job" behind a car, you don't joke with such car. The LASTMA officials hooked the wrong guy that day.

I'm sure the same happened to other lawyers and influential people.... in this type and other cases. What people don't do is take the matter to court because it's a waste of time... nothing will happen. If more people do this ... then authorities will begin to do the right thing. I guess this judge was praying for someone to bring such a case to his court.

The way the lastma thugs will be negotiating bribe with a supposed traffic offender as if they work the money for him
'If we tow your car to our office you will pay sanwo olu #50k fine.But if you want us to release your car here you will give us #30k"Thieves them.

I don't pray to enter trouble but e good to get this lawyer number.

As fine as the provisions of judgment are, the question begging for answer is: who will enforce them in Lagos?

Its illegal to tow vehicles, impose fine, etc, who will enforce that?

Seun, homepage pleasee!!!

This is what lawyers wey sabi should be doing.
Testing these draconian laws put up by some useless govts.

Everyday for thieves one day for partitional of laws

Lagos state government is too aggressive thsee days they need to chill

Lalasticlala push to front page o

Since 2021, Imagine if he wasn't a lawyer.

There are problems in this country sha