Stephen Abuwatseye, a Bolt driver, has alleged that he was forcibly taken to a police station by Nigerian officers after being assaulted by Hon. Alex Ikwechegh, a Nigerian lawmaker.
According to the Vanguard, the altercation reportedly began after a video of the incident, which showed parts of the exchange between the two, went viral on social media.
Speaking with social media personality Martins Otse, known as VeryDarkMan, Abuwatseye recounted his ordeal. He alleged that the lawmaker summoned police officers who subsequently “bundled” him into their vehicle and prevented him from driving his own car to the station.
According to Abuwatseye, “I wanted to drive my own car, but they said no. Two officers sat beside me while I was in the middle as they drove me to the station.”
Upon arrival at the station, Abuwatseye claimed he was prohibited from answering phone calls and was not immediately asked for his version of events.
Instead, officers spoke to others who were not present at the scene. “They quickly claimed that I had gone to the honorable’s house and fought with him,” he explained.
According to Abuwatseye, the officer assigned to his case initially expressed interest in hearing both sides of the story.
However, after speaking with Ikwechegh over the phone, the Investigating Police Officer left the station to conduct a follow-up investigation at the lawmaker’s residence, leaving Abuwatseye waiting at the station for over two hours. “I waited in the canter for over two hours, although I wasn’t officially detained,” he said.
When the officer returned, Abuwatseye was questioned about why he recorded the incident. He responded, “I told him that if there’s a law against recording someone who threatens me, then I’m unaware of it… I needed to gather evidence.”
As Abuwatseye was writing his statement, Ikwechegh arrived at the station. “When he came in, he started shouting and calling me names… He referred to me as a poor man and accused me of being prideful,” Abuwatseye claimed.
He added that his car remained at the station while he left shortly after 3 p.m. that day. He also noted that the lawmaker faced no detainment following the incident.
In his account of the initial events, Abuwatseye described receiving a Bolt request around 9:10 p.m. for a package delivery. “The passenger said I was picking up something at a garden… A girl handed me a package, saying it contained snails,” he said.
Upon arriving at Ikwechegh’s residence to complete the delivery, he experienced difficulties locating the lawmaker, who allegedly refused to acknowledge him.
Frustrated with the interaction, Abuwatseye attempted to contact the original requester. “When I dialed the number, it rang, and the next thing I heard was, ‘Are you stupid? Bring my stuff to me,’” he stated, adding that he felt the lawmaker’s tone was unnecessarily harsh.
The incident has sparked conversations on social media, with many questioning the treatment Abuwatseye received from the police and his alleged experience with the lawmaker.
