Admin l Sunday, April 10, 2022
IKEJA, Lagos, Nigeria – The Chief Judge of Lagos State, Kazeem Olanrewaju Alogba has been urged to investigate alleged discrepancies by the Deputy Sheriff of the court over auction of Toyota Corolla on December 19, 2021.
The Claimant and Judgment Creditor in suit no MCL/87 3/2013 between Abiodun Akinkoye Odunayo and Mr. Jude Ator in a petition dated July 27, 2021 urged the chief judge to investigate alleged manipulation of proceeding of sales in public auction of a Toyota Corolla by the Deputy Sheriff, that schemed out the judgment creditor.
In her explanation, Mrs Odunayo, said the car auction by the Deputy Sheriff was an execution levied in the suit on the 19th day of December, 2017 where a Toyota Corolla was attached and taken to court premises.
According to her, “the car was not burnt nor vandalized during the EndSARS protest and remained attractive to the general public.
“On resumption of normal court activities after various lockdown of the courts I made several efforts to list the car subject matter of this complaint (Toyota Corolla 2005 model car) for sale. Including a letter from my lawyer to the Honourable Chief Judge.” She further stated she was informed that the chief judge has given approval for sales of the car along with other items.
“I was made to obtain a form for N3,000 to enable me participate in the process of the sales with a tag No.15 and the sales was fixed for 27th July, 2021. On the 27th, I was on the sales ground within the premises of the High Court, Igbosere, Lagos with my agent and one other assistant. I actively participated in the bidding along with my agent and so many other interested buyers and the hid was won by the highest bidder at N2.7 million.
“My lord it is pertinent to not that I stopped bidding at N1.2 million while others continued because the car was still very neat and unscratched which made it very attractive to so many people. The eventual winner was in military uniform and bided up to N2.7 million before the bell rang”, he said.
Continuing he said, “ by the letter dated 16th August 2021, my lawyer applied for the proceeds of the sales of N2.7 million less the official deductions as the judgment creditor which was not responded to until 29th September, 2021, when Mrs. Abimbola Oshodi-Makanju Head of Deputy Sheriff in a letter informed her that, “a Toyota Corolla with Reg. No. BDG 602 EC (Grey Colour), was sold by public auction to the highest bidder in the sum of N 525,000.00, contrary to what actually happened during the public auction.
According to the Oshodi-Makanju, “the only amount recoverable by the Claimant/Judgment Creditor stands at 525, 000.00 less the government deductions.”
She was however told to take half of the money the car was auctioned. She has therefore demand that “justice must prevail and that she must be paid the correct proceed of sales of the Toyota Corolla 2005 model.”
In her petition to the Chief Judge of Lagos, the petitioner, and judgment creditor, through her lawyer said: “It is pertinent to know my Lord that I have waited for about three months now. Since I submitted my petition and I am yet to be contacted or informed of any development in respect of the petition, copy of which is hereby attached for your Lordship’s quick reference and necessary action.
“I am waiting patiently for my Lord’s intervention in this matter of open fraud that someone thinks it can be swept under the carpet.”
But to her utter dismay, at this moment when anti-corruption fight is at its peak, a letter signed by Acting Chief Register, Mr. T. A. Elias dated March 15, 2022 replying to her petition, stated that the chief judge acknowledge receipt of her letters; dated 30th November 2021 and 1st March 2022 in respect of the subject matter. The letter said that her petition was not successful.
” A discreet investigation of your petition shows no wrong doing has been found on the side of the Lagos State Judiciary and its appointed Auctioneer. You are free to furnish any proof of your allegation, if you so wishes. Accordingly, the petition is unsuccessful”, the Lagos Judiciary said in reply to an aggrieved Nigerian who had approached the court for justice, cheated by the same judiciary, when it was time for her to reap the fruitage of not taking to jungle justice but for patiently waiting for the law to take its course.
