A disagreement between Nigerian football star Stanley Nwabali and car rental company Klin Deal Resources has emerged over a failed vehicle hire arrangement linked to the goalkeeper’s travel for his father’s burial in Rivers State.
The matter involves the rental of three luxury vehicles—two Prado SUVs and a G-Wagon—booked for three days at a total cost of ₦1.9 million. According to the firm’s agent Franklin Opara, the vehicles were requested to transport Nwabali’s entourage from Port Harcourt, but the plan changed unexpectedly, leading to complications.
Opara said that Nwabali’s team later rerouted the trip to Egbema, a location the company considered unsafe. As a result, the company declined to continue with the journey, offering instead a partial refund of ₦1.3 million.
“The agreement changed without notice,” Opara stated. “Due to security risks in the newly proposed location, our driver opted out. Nevertheless, we’ve agreed to cover a day’s loss and refund for the remaining two.”
Complicating matters, Opara alleged that Nwabali contacted senior government officials, resulting in the seizure of the two Prado SUVs by local police, where they have remained for more than nine days.
The footballer, however, insists on receiving a full refund, maintaining that the services paid for were not rendered.
Nwabali’s aide, Chimaobi Okeke, provided a conflicting narrative, asserting that the rental company breached their agreement by assigning a driver to the G-Wagon, which was meant to be self-driven by the goalkeeper for personal security.
“We clearly instructed that the G-Wagon should not come with a driver,” said Okeke. “They ignored that request and refused to offer a refund when confronted, which led to the current situation.”
The disagreement follows an earlier lack of resolution on the day of the funeral, leaving the vehicles unused and leading to tensions between both parties. It also underscores the increasing complexities in contractual arrangements involving high-profile individuals.
No formal legal proceedings have been announced, though the involvement of police authorities suggests the matter could escalate if not amicably resolved.
