A commercial bus driver, Arowosaye Taofeeq, who claimed to have been brutalised by officials of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps in the boundary town between Rivers and the Imo states has demanded justice.
Taofeeq told City Round that he was conveying passengers from Port Harcourt to Asaba in Delta State but ran into the NSCDS officials at Omerelu in the Ikwerre Local Government Area, Rivers State.
He added that he was about to cross a checkpoint mounted by the NSCDC, when a boy on mufti allegedly known to the corps hit his car.
The driver further said he alighted to enquire from the boy why he hit his vehicle being a double lane road.
He said, “The boy asked me if I was challenging him, accusing him of taking the wrong route. He started hitting me with a stick. As I was about to hold him, the NSCDC men in uniform came and started beating me. I asked them what my offence was and they handcuffed me and used sticks to beat me.
“They broke my finger. It was some passersby and passengers who intervened and asked them what my offence was before they removed the handcuff on me.
“I have pains all over. My head is swollen and parts of my body are hurting. As I speak with you, I am not feeling well. I refunded my passengers their money because I couldn’t continue the journey because of injuries and pains. I want them to investigate the matter and for justice take its course,” he stated.
Taofeeq said he spoke with the spokesman for the NSCDC, Rivers State Command, who asked him to narrate what happened and promised to get back to him afterwards.
Contacted, the spokesman for the NSCDC, Rivers State Command, Olufemi Ayodele, in a text message said an investigation was ongoing to unravel the identities of the operatives and their command.
“Investigation is ongoing to ascertain the identity of the personnel at the border and the command they are domiciled with,” Ayodele stated.
