Akponye Alphonsus, a victim of kidnapping, has lodged a legal complaint against a private bus company, claiming that their negligence resulted in his abduction. On March 31st, Mr Alphonsus boarded a bus at the bus company’s park in Abuja. He bought a ticket for an 8am bus and he was to get to his destination by 5pm according to the scheduled time. However, the bus did not leave the park till after 10am.
In his legal assertion, Alphonsus claimed that the company utilized a poorly maintained vehicle for the journey. Shortly after departure, the vehicle encountered a tire issue, resulting in a delay to replace it with a defective spare tire.
Alphonsus recounted that the spare tire burst while on the highway, leading to the driver losing control and narrowly avoiding a serious accident. Due to a lack of appropriate tools, it took nearly four hours for the driver to rectify the tire issue, during which time Alphonsus and fellow passengers fell victim to kidnapping by criminals who exploited the situation. He detailed being held captive by the kidnappers for three days until his family raised N5 million for his release. The traumatic experience exacerbated his existing health issues, necessitating hospitalization.
Represented by his lawyer, Ikechukwu Uzuegbu, Alphonsus is seeking N13 million in damages from the transport company, comprising N10 million for general damages and N3 million for legal expenses.
