Barely two weeks after she was quizzed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over fraud-related allegations, four Toyota Hilux escort vehicles belonging to Mrs Ifeoma Nwobodo, were impounded from her residence in GRA Enugu.
Mrs. Nwobodo was the former Chief of Staff to Barr. Sullivan Chime, former governor of Enugu state.
The incident followed a court order that awarded a judgment fee of 10million to Mrs Ethel Nebo Ezeabasilim former Chairman of the Enugu State Universal Primary Education Board, (ENSUPEB).
Armed policemen and a court bailiff invaded the residence of Mrs. Nwobodo, on Tuesday and impounded four Toyota Sports Utility vehicles parked in her compound after a mild drama that involved several policemen that came with the Court Bailiff and her security guards.
The judgment debt of N10 million was awarded against Mrs. Nwobodo by an Enugu State High Court over the wrongful removal of the former Chairman of ENSUPEB.
The court presided over by Justice C. I. Nwobodo, had in its judgment in the matter awarded N10 million cost against the former Chief of Staff.
The plaintiff, Mrs. Nebo-Ezeabasilim had claimed N100 million damages for her wrongful removal from office.
The former ENSUBEB boss instituted the suit through her counsel, Chief G. Tagbo Ike, but following the judgment of the court in favour of the plaintiff, counsel for Mrs. Nwobodo, Mr. Anthony Ani, SAN, who was Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice under the Chime administration, appealed the judgment.
The Court of Appeal Enugu, in June this year, decided the appeal in favour of Mrs. Nebo-Ezeabasilim agreeing with the lower court that she was wrongly removed from office by the former Chief of Staff three months to the end of her tenure.
According to the plaintiff’s counsel, Chief Ike, efforts to get the N10 million judgment debt from Mrs. Nwobodo since the judgment was delivered by the appeal court proved abortive hence the decision of the court bailiff to “’attach the defendant’s property.”
He said that the four vehicles would be sold to raise the N10 million which would be given to the plaintiff in lieu of the damage she suffered on account of her wrongful removal from office.
The lawyer said that on arrival at the gate of Mrs. Nwobodo’s residence along Ridgeway, GRA, Enugu to enforce the judgment, her police orderly, whose identity could not be ascertained at press time denied the court bailiff and the policemen access to the expansive compound.
It could not be ascertained if he was acting on the orders of the former Chief of Staff, but Chief Ike said the orderly fired some gunshots into the air and later fired canisters of teargas to scare them away prompting the policemen he came with to call for reinforcement from the nearby State Police Headquarters.
The orderly was reportedly disarmed on the orders of a senior police officer from the State Police Headquarters which paved the way for the bailiff and the policemen to have access to the compound and took the four vehicles away.
Chief Ike who confirmed the development said: “My client, Mrs. Nebo-Ezeabasilim asked for N100 million damages for her wrongful removal from office three months to the end of her tenure. The court granted N10 million and held that she was wrongly removed from office.
“The defendant refused to pay the money and the bailiff went to attach her property today (Tuesday). Her orderly put up a stiff resistance when the court bailiff and policemen went to attach Mrs. Nwobodo’s property by shooting into the air and firing canisters of teargas to scare them.
“But following reinforcement from the nearby State Police Headquarters, the orderly was disarmed and the team had access to the compound from where they towed the four vehicles to the court premises at the Independence Layout, Enugu. We are going to auction the vehicles to raise the judgment debt in favour of my client.”
