The Federal High Court in Abuja has directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to compensate the family of the late Mike Madu with N1.12 billion after he was killed in a road accident caused by an INEC driver in Imo State.
Delivering the judgment on Friday, Justice Inyang Ekwo ordered INEC to pay the sum with an annual interest of 10% from the date of the ruling until full payment is made.
Additionally, the court mandated INEC, its Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, and other involved parties to send a formal condolence letter to Madu’s family.
“This shall be the judgment of this court,” Justice Ekwo stated, also awarding the cost of prosecuting the case to the plaintiff.
The lawsuit, filed by Augustine Madu on behalf of the Umudurugwu, Umuokwe, Awo-Omamma community in Oru-East Local Government Area of Imo State, listed INEC, its Chairman, an INEC Commissioner in Abuja, and an escort driver, Hassan Abdul, as defendants.
The case, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1074/2019, sought N1.12 billion in damages for what the plaintiff described as the unlawful termination of Mike Madu’s life.
According to court documents, the fatal accident occurred on June 16, 2019, along the Itobe-Anyigba Expressway in Kogi State.
Mike Madu, a successful businessman who frequently travelled between Nigeria and China to facilitate business partnerships, was escorting two Chinese investors when their Lexus vehicle, driven by Ega Chukwudi, collided with a Toyota Land Cruiser driven by Abdul.
The INEC vehicle, reportedly driven recklessly, lost control, veered into the opposite lane, and crashed into the Lexus in a head-on collision before somersaulting and catching fire.
The crash resulted in the deaths of Madu and one of the Chinese investors, Huang Hia Yan, while the surviving investor, Qu Xin Dong, and other passengers sustained varying degrees of injuries.
A police report dated July 16, 2019, attributed the accident to Abdul’s reckless speeding.
Despite the tragic loss, Augustine Madu testified that INEC showed no concern or remorse, nor did it offer any form of compensation to the grieving family.
He emphasized that his late brother was the primary breadwinner for both his immediate and extended family, including his Chinese wife, Xiaojuan Li, and their son.
The plaintiff presented two witnesses during the trial, including a police officer from the Kogi State Command.
Although Augustine was cross-examined, INEC and the other defendants failed to appear in court.
In his ruling, Justice Ekwo upheld the plaintiff’s claims, awarding the compensation and condemning INEC’s negligence in addressing the matter.