A 26-year old manager of a transport firm, Godday Haulage limited, located at Apapa area of Lagos, Tochukwu Onwuatudo, has appealed to the Inspector-General of Police, Solomon Arase and the Commissioner of Police, Lagos state, Fatai Owoseni, to come to his aid as his life is being threatened by the commander of a vigilante group in Maza-Maza area of the state.
The manager alleged that he was attacked and brutalised by the commander and seven others with guns and other dangerous weapons, because his truck mistakenly pulled an electric cable at Number 5, Ikogba Street, off Alahin Osunba Estate at Monkey Village, Maza-Maza when a driver of the firm went to off-load a container in the area.
He stated that despite the fact that he has rectified the electrical problem, the said vigilante boss still seized the key to his vehicle and impounded it at the scene of the incident. The incident, according to him, occurred on October 22, 2015, at about 4 pm. “After that, the vigilante boss boasted openly after impounding my truck that I should go and report the matter to anybody and that he has the licence to kill and nothing will happen.
Though the victim who was still receiving treatment said that the Police at Agboju station has arrested one of the suspects alleged to have beaten him with a gun, his truck is still where they impounded it.
Narrating his ordeal, the victim said that on October 22, 2015, at about 4pm, he was called by one of the drivers of the transport firm by name,Ikechukwu Umeh, who informed him that a man simply called Okpoye at Ikogba street, off Alahun Osunba Estate in Monkey village, Maza-Maza area of Lagos, has seized the keys to his truck from him because his truck mistakenly pulled an electric wire in the area.
“When I got there, I discussed with a woman who happens to be the owner of the compound which the truck pulled the wire and she said I should pay her N6,000, for the repair of the wire. After negotiating with the woman, Okpoye just came out from the other compound all of a sudden and dragged the key from the driver.
As I was trying to intervene, the man called seven of his boys with three of them holding guns and started beating and shooting into the air and Okpoye was shouting that he has licence to kill anybody threatening that he will kill me and nothing will happen. They ended up manhandling me and my driver and I sustained injuries.
Attempts to use police in the area to call him to order failed as he kept on boasting that nobody can do anything to him. I narrowly escaped death. Luckily, some days later, the Police at Agboju bravely arrested one of the gun-wielding thugs that attacked me and recovered a gun. The problem now is how to recover my truck and key and the Police seem helpless,”he stated.
When Crime Alert visited the scene of incident,the truck with registration number MUS 797XL, was still parked there and a resident in the area said the alleged chief security officer was not around. However, one of the elders in the community who does not want his name in print confirmed the incident, but denied that there were gunshots.
A Police source at Agboju station said that the matter is under investigation and cannot comment until the matter is concluded. Efforts to speak with the alleged vigilante boss proved abortive as he started threatening to deal with the reporter in front of the police station,if the reporter does not leave.
