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3 hours ago
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Friday, a father of four, recounted the incident that occurred around 7 PM on Wednesday, September 18, 2024, as he was finishing his shift. He had picked up three stranded passengers from the Obiri-Kwere area and was driving them to Ozuoba when he encountered the police checkpoint.
According to Friday, the officers demanded ₦100, but he explained that his passengers were not paying him for the ride. In response, one of the officers ordered him to pull over.
He stated, “The three passengers, two women and a man, were stranded because they didn’t get transport. So, I assisted them. As we were going just after AIT in Ozuoba, there was a police checkpoint there.
“The officers now asked me for ₦100, I told them that I helped these three passengers, and that they were not paying me. The officers refused. The next thing one of them said I should park. Before I knew it, they broke my car’s side mirror and attacked me. I came down and said they must fix my side mirror.”
Friday alleged that the officers then broke his car's side mirror and assaulted him.
“They attacked me, and I demanded they fix my side mirror. The situation escalated, and bystanders began to gather. Some of their colleagues were embarrassed and attempted to mediate,” he said.
Friday emphasised that the treatment he received from the officers was unacceptable, calling for accountability from the police regarding their stop-and-search practices. He also reported that the officers threatened to shoot him during the altercation.
Attempts to reach Grace Iringe-Koko, spokesperson for the state police command, were unsuccessful, as her phone remained engaged, and she had not responded to a text message by the time of this report.
English (US) ·