The bolt driver who was captured on video being assaulted by the House of Representatives member representing Abia South/North Federal Constituency of Abia State, Hon. Alex Ikwechegh, has opened up on his ordeal in the hands of the lawmaker.
The victim identified as Stephen Abuwatseye, had gone to deliver a parcel to Ikwechegh at his Abuja home but made the mistake of calling the lawmaker to come and pick up the delivery.
That demand did not sit well with
Ikwechegh who felt insulted and subsequently, assaulted the driver, an act that was recorded and shared on social media.
In a conversation with social media activist, Martins Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, Abuwatseye revealed that Ikwechegh threatened to pay N50 million to some people to kill him, a threat which he said prompted him to record the assault.
Narrating his ordeal, Abuwatseye said he sensed he was in trouble when the lawmaker first told him:
“You common Bolt driver, you are a poor man yet you have pride in your poverty. Do you know who I am?”
He went further to explain:
“I said, ‘So the problem you have now is that a poor man should not speak? I am a Nigerian and should not be treated as a foreigner in this country. I am from Delta State, and I cannot have you treat me like a foreigner in my own country.
“He was calling me names. I was mute and sat at an edge.
“I brought snails for him. When I got to his estate gate, I called him and told him I was at the gate. He asked me to give the phone to the security personnel, who later directed me to his house. When I arrived at his house, I saw a man seated close to where I parked my car.
“When I got out, I greeted him twice, but he didn’t respond. So I thought he wasn’t the one. The next thing I did was call the number on my phone, and his phone rang.
“What I heard was, ‘Are you stupid? Are you mad? Are you a fool? Bring my stuff for me!’ I was not happy with the way he spoke to me because I was just doing my professional job.
“So I told him, ‘Oga, this thing you are saying to me, we have not gotten to this. Normally, I am not even supposed to bring this to you. You are supposed to come and pick it up yourself.’ That was the only thing that got him angry.
“So he replied, ‘You are asking me to come to your car to pick my stuff? Are you okay? Do you know whom you are talking to?’
“He hit me on my chest several times. I am not feeling well. He hit me on my chest repeatedly while I just looked at him. But when he became more of a threat to me, I had to record him because I didn’t go there with the intention of fighting him. If I had gone there with a different motive, I would have recorded him from the beginning.
“I started recording him when he became a threat and said he would pay fifty million naira, and they would ‘delete’ me.
“He was calling me all sorts of names. He claimed he would pay 50 million naira to people, and they would kill me, and nobody would say anything.
“When I noticed that this situation was escalating beyond what I ever expected, I quickly took out my phone and started recording.”
