Abuja e-hailing driver writes police, petitions House of Reps member over assault

Stephen Abuwatseya, an e-hailing driver, has filed a petition against Alex Ikwechegh, a member of the House of Representatives, representing Aba North and South Federal Constituency, over an alleged assault, before Kayode Egbetokun, the Inspector-General of Police (IGP).

Ikwechegh had boasted in a viral video that he could make an e-hailing driver disappear “and nothing will happen,” following an incident at the lawmaker’s house in Abuja, on Sunday.

The visual showed Ikwechegh assaulting the yet to be identified driver for telling him to set out and collect the snail sent to be delivered to him.

Upon this, the legislative expressed that as a dishonour to him.

He said, “Do you know who I am? I can make this man (driver) disappear in the whole of Nigeria and nothing will happen. Can you imagine this rat? I am not going to give this boy one naira of my money.

“I am not going to call my policemen to beat you up, I will do that myself. I will show that I am a big brother to you, tie you up, lie you down and put you in my generator house. Do you know where you are? Because you saw me sitting outside here. Look at this monkey.”

While demanding for his fee, Ikwechegh, slapped the driver and said, “Do you know who I am I just slapped you and there’s nothing you will do. My name is Honourable Alex Ikwechegh, tell them (public) I slapped you. Call the Inspector General of Police that I slapped you, let him come. Record me very well.”

Abuwatseya in the petition filed on Monday accused Ikwechegh of grievous assault, abuse of power, attempted murder and threat to life.

Sharing his ordeal, he said not taking the food into Ikwechegh’s premises accords with Bolt’s law.

The petition through his lawyer, Marvin Omorogbe of the Deji Adeyanju & Partners law firm read, “Our client is a bolt driver and a hard-working Nigerian citizen. It is our client’s information that at about 9pm on October 27, 2024, he was contracted by a vendor to deliver some food to Hon. Alex Mascot Ikwechegh at his residence in Maitama, Abuja.

“Regrettably, upon getting to Hon. Ikwechegh’s residence, he requested that our client bring the food into his premises, contrary to the laid down policies regulating bolt drivers in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. Our client politely refused the request and urged Hon. Ikwechegh to send someone to pick up the food outside the gate, as is customary with delivery services.

“In response to our client’s refusal to take the food into the premises, Hon. Ikwechegh physically assaulted our client, tore his clothes, threatened to make him “disappear” from Nigeria and repeatedly dared our client to call the Inspector General of Police, while threatening that nothing will happen to him.

“Following the assault, Hon. Ikwechegh caused our client to be detained at the Maitama Police Station and his car seized by the Investigative Police Officer. Attached herein, for ease of reference, is a video recording of the incident.

“As a serving member of the Federal House of Representatives, whose primary duties include making laws for the safety of Nigerians, we find Hon. Ikwechegh’s actions were totally distasteful and a threat to our client’s safety.

“At a time when several Nigerians are increasingly being subjected to enforced disappearance by state and non-state actors, we particularly find Hon. Ikwechegh’s threat to cause our client’s disappearance as a national issue that deserves immediate investigation.”

Abuwatseya called for probe into the incident, stating, “it is in the light of the foregoing that we kindly request that you investigate the issues raised in this petition with a view to prosecuting Hon. Alex Mascot Ikwechegh.”

Earlier, the Nigeria Police Force, while reacting to the incident says Kayode Egbetokun, the name of its IGP, is not for intimidation.

The police, via its X handle, disclosed it is handling the case at the Maitama Divisional headquarters.

The police stated, “The Police Force also urges the public to refrain from using the name or office of the Inspector-General of Police to intimidate others, as such actions undermine the values of impartiality that the IGP’s office upholds.”