Nigeria: Sen. Titus Zam Faces N100m Suit Over Alleged Illegal Detention Of Brother

The Senator Representing Benue North-West in the Red Chambers, Sen. Titus Tartenger Zam has been dragged to an Abuja High Court for allegedly detaining his younger cousin brother, Mr.Oliver Tersoo Abele of the same Senatorial District in conspiracy with the Police.

In an Originating motion filed by Matthias Ikyav, Esq and Hellen Gbor, Esq of MAL Ikyav & Co and made available to this medium, demanded “an order compelling the Respondents, jointly and severally, to pay to the Applicant (Mr.Oliver Tersoo Abele) the sum of N100,000,000.00 (One Hundred Milion Naira) only as exemplary damages for the violation of his fundamental rights.”

“An order compelling the Respondents, jointly and severally, to tender public apologies to the Applicant for their reprehensible conducts,
the sum of N1,500,000.00 (One Million, Five Hundred Thousand Naira) only jointly and severally against the Respondents as cost of this Suit.
And for such further or other order(s) as this Honourable Court may deem fit to make in the circumstances of this case.” It stressed.

A relation of the Applicant, Mr. James Akatu who deposed to the supporting Affidavit stated that “On 20th June, 2024, at about 12: 00 noon, the Applicant informed me of the following facts when I visited him at the Galadima Police Post,
Gwarinpa, Abuja, where he is presently being detained, and I verily
believe him to be true that:
He used to work as a driver to the 3rd Respondent (the Senator representing Benue North-West Senatorial District), who is also his uncle. He had worked for the Senator for about six years; even before he became a member of the National Assembly.”

Akatu revealed that sometime in the year 2023, he connected the 3rd Respondent Senator Titus Zam With Someone who sold a used Range Rover car to him at the rate of N4,000,000.00 (Four Million Naira) only. He was able to do this because of the nature of his work as a motor mechanic. The 3rd Respondent drove the car for a few months when the engine of the car became bad and needed to be changed. The 3rd
Respondent then bought a new engine for the car but shortly after, that engine too became bad. The unfortunate situation compelled the 3rd Respondent to abandon the car in his house at Makurdi, Benue State.”

“Sometime in February, 2024, (months after he stopped working for the 3rd Respondent) he contacted the 3rd Defendant, as his uncle, asking for support to enable him invest in business. Based on this, the 3rd respondent gave him the said Range Rover together with the car papers with the instruction that he should repair and sell
same.He used his resources to repair the car and subsequently sold same
at the rate of N2,800,000.00 (Two Million, Eight Hundred Thousand Naira) plus another car which the buyer traded for the Range Rover. Unfortunately, he used the proceeds of the sale to
invest in farm business without the consent and approval of the 3rd Respondent.”

“Peeved by the above development, the 3rd Respondent lodged a criminal complaint against him at the Galadima Post of the Nigeria Police at Gwarinpa, Abuja whereupon he was arrested on Tuesday, 18” June, 2024 and has since been in detention. All efforts to get him on bail have proved abortive. The court is yet to fix a date for the hearing of the case which has the FCT Commissioner of Police, the DPO of Galadima post, Gwarinpa and the said Senator who doubles as Chairman Business and Rules Committee of the Senate as Respondents.

Abele said Zam only gave him 5k to feed through this period. All pleas by the victim to Zam to give him some time to source the money and pay since he used the proceeds for farm business, have fallen on deaf ears.

The victim is a family man or breadwinner of his family who depends on his handwork to feed his family. He has been kept in detention for over two weeks without bail

A Source close to Senator Titus Zam who pleaded anonymity lamented that
“On the 2nd of February, 2024, Mr Hillary Gber a former associate of Titus Zam was arrested on the orders of the Senator.”
The source said the Senator was accused by his community of selling palliatives donated to them by the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The senator accused Hills Gber of spreading the information on social media.