The Court of Appeal sitting in Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria, has ordered the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) to pay ₦10 million in damages for unlawfully seizing the driver’s licence and vehicle documents of one Dr. Emmanuel Ugochukwu Shebbs during the COVID-19 lockdown.
In a resounding rebuke to abuse of power, the legal firestorm began in 2020 on Bende Road, Umuahia, when Dr. Shebbs was stopped on a government-approved movement day.
After clearing initial checks, FRSC officers, allegedly, demanded a bribe masked as a “tip” from him.
When he refused, citing he had no cash, the officers, reportedly, became hostile and began to fabricate offences such as worn-out tyres and the absence of a spare.
They, thereafter, illegally confiscated his licence and slammed him with a ₦3,000 fine.
Rather than be cowed, Shebbs fought back—not just for himself, but for the voiceless.
“I could have made calls or shown my ID, but I thought of the many young Nigerians who don’t have such privileges. This case was for them,” he submitted.
After five years of legal battle, the three-man panel, led by Hon. Justice Amina Audi Wambai, ruled decisively in his favour.
The Appeal Court affirmed that FRSC has no constitutional right to seize licences or documents without court order.
She branded the officers’ actions as illegal, abusive, and a gross violation of fundamental human rights.
Originally pegged at ₦30 million, the compensation was reviewed and upheld at ₦10 million.
Shebbs hailed the judgment as a victory for civil liberties:
“It’s not about the money. It’s about stopping the normalisation of abuse by the very agencies meant to protect us.”
STONIX NEWS
