A non-governmental organisation (NGO), ‘Nija Save Nigeria’ has sued the Kano State and the Federal Government of Nigeria for negligence over the toll gate at Naibawa, which has resulted in loss of many lives.
In a suit dated July 10, 2018, filed on behalf of Naibawa community by Messrs. Gordy Uche (SAN)&Co, the NGO, which fights injustice and maltreatment of Nigerians, sought for many reliefs including some declarative orders.
According to documents filed in the court, the uncompleted and abandoned toll gate at Na’Ibawa near on Zaria Road, Kano was not only badly positioned but was abandoned thereby constituting a nuisance to road users some of who had already lost their lives.
They are therefore praying the court for a declarative injunction that leaving such death traps on the highway was careless act which had put people’s lives in danger and should be removed.
They are also praying for a declaration that the uncompleted/abandoned Toll Gate building erected by the defendants at Na’ibawa constitutes an obstruction/accident risk and was responsible for the motor vehicle crash of the plaintiffs and the death of Abba Musa Gashash on the 12th day of May, 2018.
The plaintiffs also claim the sum of N1billion being damages against the defendants for the motor vehicle crash of the plaintiffs and the consequent medical expenses and general costs of upkeep of the now disabled plaintiffs. The plaintiffs are also asking the court to compel the defendants to immediately dismantle the said abandoned, dilapidated toll gate from the highway.
The petitioners averred that “there is an uncompleted, unpainted, no reflectors, no speed bumps Toll Gate at Na’ibawa, few meters to Sa’adatu Rimi College of Education on Zaria Road. This Toll Gate has claimed many lives of innocent people and will continue to do so on a daily basis. One tragic example was a Bus full of women attending a wedding that crashed and all but one child died on the spot.”
It would be recalled that the government erected the toll gate against professional advice which resulted to a lot of ghastly road accidents on the highway. A recent accident on Saturday May 12, 2018 at the toll gate killed Abba Musa Gashash while his two childhood Hafiz Waziri and Ibrahim Mohammed had severe injury and multiple fractures that made them incapacitated
The parents of the deceased and the incapacitated citizens petitioned Nija Save Nigeria, who in turn took up the matter and the subsequent suit filed on their behalf.
The coordinator of Nija Save Nigeria, Barrister Uju Ken Ohannenye said the group encourages Nigerian citizens to have the courage to report injustice and maltreatment for proper investigation and prosecution. She said the NGO encourages citizens to be courageous in reporting cases of injustice, maltreatment, Police brutality and domestic violence among others to ensure adequate justice.
The NGO has developed an online platform where citizens can post and report cases through videos, audios, text, images privately for prompt actions.
