LAGOS – For Tomori Gbolagade, the weight of a decade-old court order is proving far heavier than the bullet that shattered his right hand in 2011. After 15 years of physical disability and 10 years of legal victory, the Lagos-based videographer has launched an emergency crowdfunding campaign to finance life-altering surgery that the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) was legally mandated to pay for in 2015.
The ordeal began on the eve of Independence Day in 2011. While driving near the Ako-Ojo Police Station in Dopemu, Gbolagade was flagged down at a checkpoint. As he signaled to park, Corporal Philip Ayuba—reportedly intoxicated at the time—opened fire. One bullet pierced the vehicle’s boot and lodged in Gbolagade’s hand.
While the officers on the scene allegedly fled, Gbolagade’s journey for justice began. In 2015, Justice Saliu Saidu of the Federal High Court in Lagos delivered a landmark ruling, ordering the NPF to pay $47,062 for reconstructive surgeries in India, plus N5 million in general damages.
A Decade of Silence
Despite the ruling, the Inspector General of Police (IGP) and successive Lagos Commissioners of Police have remained unmoved. Gbolagade has seen eight different IGPs pass through office since his victory; none have authorized the payment.
The bottleneck appears to be a bureaucratic stalemate involving Section 84 of the Sheriff and Civil Process Act. This law requires the Attorney General’s consent before government funds can be “attached” to satisfy a court judgment. While the Attorney General’s office has reached out to the Police for comment, the IGP’s office has reportedly met the request with total silence.
The Race for Reconstructive Surgery
With his professional life as a videographer severely hampered by his disability, Gbolagade has exhausted his patience with the state. He has now turned to the public via the platform oncrowdr.com to raise the funds necessary for the final two stages of his treatment at Dr. Kamakshi Memorial Hospital in India.
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”I have lived with a disabled right hand for 15 years,” Gbolagade told reporters. “The court spoke in 2015, but the police have ignored the law they are sworn to uphold.”
As of press time, Force Public Relations Officer Anthony Placid has not responded to inquiries regarding why the force continues to defy a federal court order in the face of a citizen’s mounting medical crisis.
