N10m judgment debt: Court impounds Nwobodo’s vehicles

Four vehicles belonging to the former chief of staff to ex-Governor Sullivan Chime of Enugu State, Mrs Ifeoma Nwobodo, were on Tuesday impounded on the orders of the Court of Appeal, Enugu Division, over ten million naira judgment debt.

It would be recalled that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had two weeks ago queried Nwobodo over her roles in the alleged financial misconduct perpetrated by the Chime-led administration in Enugu State.

Hallmark gathered that based on the order of the appeal court presided over by Justice C.I. Nwobodo, armed policemen and a court bailiff were dispatched to her residence at Ridgeway Street, GRA, Enugu, from where the vehicles were towed, after a brief resistance from security personnel attached to her house.

The vehicles were impounded in lieu of a judgment debt of N10 million awarded against Nwobodo by an Enugu State High Court over wrong termination of the appointment of Mrs Ethel Nebo Ezeabasili, chairman of the Enugu State Universal Primary Education Board (ENSUBEB).

Ezeabasili, through her counsel, Chief Tagbo Ike (SAN), had instituted a one hundred million naira damages against Nwobodo at an Enugu High Court. The court later granted a ten million naira cost against Nwobodo.

But Nwobodo, who felt displeased by the judgment put up an appeal at the Court of Appeal, Enugu, but lost the appeal as the court upheld the judgment of the lower court.

Counsel to Mrs Ezeabasili, Chief Tagbo Ike, disclosed that since the appeal court judgment was delivered, all efforts to get Nwobodo to comply with the N10 million cost against her were all in vain, therefore, the decision of the court bailiff to “attach the defendant’s property”.

He explained that the four vehicles will 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.

Tagbo Ike said the enforcement of the court’s order to impound Nwobodo’s vehicles was not easy but happy that it was finally executed.

“Her orderly put up stiff resistance when the court bailiff and policemen went to attach her 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 Independence Layout, Enugu. We are going to sell the vehicles to raise the judgment debt in favour of my client.”

Attempts to get Mrs Nwobodo’s reaction were not successful.

MAURICE OKAFOR, Enugu