By John Moses
Nigerian international goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali has become embroiled in a contractual dispute with vehicle rental firm Klin Deal Resources, following the use of luxury vehicles for his father’s funeral on 7 June in Okwuzi, Rivers State.
According to Franklin Opara, a representative of the car hire company, Nwabali arranged the rental of two Toyota Prado SUVs and a Mercedes-Benz G-Wagon for three days via his associate Chimaobi Okeke, to facilitate transportation to Port Harcourt. However, Opara alleges that plans were altered at short notice, with the destination changed to Egbema, which he described as a “hostile area,” prompting their driver to withdraw due to safety concerns.
Opara insists that, given these logistical challenges, the company is prepared to refund ₦1.3 million out of the ₦1.9 million initially paid for the vehicles, accounting for two out of the three days of rental. He claims to have personally offered to bear the cost of the remaining day as a gesture of goodwill.
However, tensions escalated after Nwabali reportedly involved government officials, resulting in the detention of the two Prado SUVs by police in Rivers State. The vehicles have allegedly remained in custody for over a week.
Nwabali, who played a key role in Nigeria’s recent African Cup of Nations campaign, is demanding a full refund, asserting that the service was not delivered as agreed.
In a statement, Opara said: “The agreement was to deliver the cars to Port Harcourt, but Nwabali’s team changed the route to Egbema after the drivers had waited all day in Owerri. For security reasons, we couldn’t proceed.”
However, Nwabali’s representative, Okeke, disputed this account, claiming the company failed to meet the original terms of the agreement. He explained that the G-Wagon was to be driven by Nwabali himself, but Klin Deal sent a driver instead, breaching their arrangement.
“When I raised the issue, I was told that the company does not offer refunds,” Okeke said. “That position changed only after the matter escalated.”
The disagreement has drawn public attention, with both parties standing firm. As of now, the impounded vehicles remain with the police pending resolution.
