Stephen Abuwatseya, the bolt driver who was assaulted by a lawmaker, Alexander Mascot Ikwechegh, in the Maitama area of Abuja on Sunday, October 27, has given an account of what transpired before and after he filmed the Nigerian lawmaker assaulting him.
Stephen who is from Delta state, spoke to social critic, Martins Otse aka Very Dark Man.
He said; ‘’I got a request from Bolt. I was already closing because I needed to resume work this morning at 8.30am. I got this request at Maitama because I felt it was a normal request and then she told me it is not a request and that I am picking something from a garden. I went there and parked and a girl came and without wasting time, brought the package and said it was a snail. The girl dropped it on the seat.
“On getting to the man’s house, I called him and said ‘Oga, I am at your gate.’ He said ‘Okay I should give it to the security man’’. The security man explained where the house address is and so I drove down to the house. On approaching, I called him and said ‘Oga, I am here’
“He said I am not here and that if I was there, he would see me. He now said I should park beside one car. When I parked beside the car, I saw him but I didn’t know he was the one. I saw him seated few meters away from my car. I greeted twice and he didn’t respond and so I presumed he wasn’t the one I was supposed to deliver the thing to. Since he didn’t answer, the next thing is for me to call the person that has package. I dialed the person’s number and his phone rang.
“The next thing, he was like ‘’Are you stupid? Are you mad? are you a fool? Bring my stuff for me”.
I was not happy at the way he spoke to me because I was doing my professional job and I was like ‘Oga, this thing you are saying to me, it has not gotten to it. Normally I am not supposed to bring this thing to you. You are supposed to come and pick it yourself’. That was the only thing that got him angry
‘’You are asking me to come to your car to pick my stuff? Are you okay? Do you know who you are talking to?” Stephen recounted the lawmaker saying to him
He went on to recount what transpired after he finished filming the lawmaker assaulting him and hurling insults on him. He claimed the lawmaker called in some police officers who whisked him to the Maitama police station where he was detained until 3am this morning.
”He called some police officers, I don’t know the division they are assigned to. They bundled me to the station. I wanted to drive the car and they said no. Two sat beside me and I was in their middle. They drove me to the station. I had calls and they didn’t allow me to take my calls.
They did not asked me what happened. They were asking people who were not there, the police officers who said I went to the honorable house and I was fighting with him. I kept mute.”
He said the lawmaker later visited the station where he continued calling him derogatory names. Stephen said the police detained him until 3am this morning and have impounded his vehicle.
Madukwe B. Nwabuisi is an accomplished journalist renown for his fearless reporting style and extensive expertise in the field. He is an investigative journalist, who has established himself as a kamikaze reporter.
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