Barring last-minute change of plan, the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) will this Wednesday arraign the lawmaker representing Abia North/South federal constituency in the House of Representatives, Hon. Alex Mascot Ikwechegh, for assaulting an e-hailing cab driver, Mr Steven Abuwatseya.
Abuwatseya was verbally and physically assaulted by the lawmaker a few days ago as captured in a viral video on social media.
LEADERSHIP recalls that Abuwatseya recorded and shared the video where the lawmaker slapped him countlessly and used derogatory words like ‘rat’ and ‘poor monkey’ on him in Abuja over a delivery disagreement.
The lawmaker was also shown in the viral video threatening that he could make Abuwatseya ‘disappear’ forever and nothing would happen, a development that sparked outrage amongst netizens.
Hon. Ikwechegh, however, apologised to his colleagues in the Green Chamber and Nigerians on Tuesday following a statement of public apology he had earlier released. He was also questioned by the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Command of the Nigeria Police for belittling the office of the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) during the altercation with the cab driver.
However, an Abuja-based human rights lawyer, Deji Adeyanju, in a message sent to LEADERSHIP on Wednesday, disclosed that the lawmaker will be arraigned before a Kuje Magistrate Court by the Police for assaulting his client, Steven Abuwatseya, who is a nominal complainant in the matter, this Wednesday.
“We are on our way to Kuje Magistrate Court for the arraignment of the honourable member who assaulted our client, Mr, Steven, a bolt driver. The IGP’s SPECIAL INVESTIGATION UNIT (SIU) is in-charge of the investigation and prosecution. The media is invited to cover the arraignment, which is scheduled for 12pm today at Kuje Magistrate.”
