Keke drivers, NSCDC Road Safety bicker over shooting

Written by AUGUSTINA Nwachukwu Aftermath of the alleged shooting of keke drivers by the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) on Friday during a peaceful protest against what they described as subjugations/harassment on them by the corps, keke operators have reiterated their plea on the government to look into the matter and warn Federal Road Safety Commission and Civil Defence to leave them alone and allow them go about their daily businesses. An eye witness of the alleged Friday shooting by Civil Defence described the shooting of keke drivers as madness, saying that “this has shown to be madness on the side of the Civil Defence Officers as they are violating the Rule of Law, because the keke drivers were only protesting against their subjugations/harassment and not inflicting harm on any one and so nothing called for the shooting of the keke drivers.” Speaking to Nigeria Moment a keke operator who craved anonymity stated that Civil Defence and Road Safety are bent on frustrating them through harassment and intimidation, and sometimes extortion. Corroborating, Mr. Magnus, a keke operator, said that Road Safety and Civil Defence see them as their money bags all the time. “They depend on us for their daily bread. There is never a time Road Safety will stop us and will not find one fault or the other on us. For instance, I was driving along Okigwe Road after Federal Girls' College, I was not carrying anyone in front and they stopped me asking me for my papers which I quickly brought out, because all my papers are complete. Seeing that they have nothing to fault me for, one of them told me that he saw me when I dropped somebody in front when I saw them. I told them that it was not possible because I was carrying only two passengers and there was no way I could have dropped one when I still had one vacant seat at the back. They said that I was arguing with them and insisted to take me to their office or pay a fine of five thousand naira for 'insulting an official on duty'.” Continuing, Mr. Magnus stated that that infuriated him and he forcefully snatched his papers from one of them and headed to his keke when they blocked him with their van. He called on the state government to look into the incessant harassment on them by the Road Safety. In a similar development another keke operator, Mr. Cyracus Edeh who narrated his sad ordeal with Road Safety officials to Nigeria Moment stated that it was only along Okigwe Road that Road Safety mount their check point to extort money from them because, according to him, Okigwe Road is not in the heart of the town and they pretend to be doing their work while they are indiscriminately extorting money from them. “It is rare you see them at World Bank, Port Harcourt Road and some other places. They always come to stage their check point along Okigwe Road to harass us. I was happy with the protest we did because left for me I have always wanted a means to bring the incessant and indiscriminate harassment of Road Safety officials to the public notice and for the state government to come to our rescue. Federal Road Safety Commission used to be an impartial parastatal who when you see them on the road every driver conducts his/herself very well because once you are found guilty of an offence, you would be treated according to the stipulation of the law. But today, it is something else. “I was going from Whetheral to Orji, at Civil Defence junction where Road Safety always mount their check point they stopped me and as I was talking with them when they sighted from afar a keke that was carrying a passenger in front. They signaled to the driver to stop and one of them saw that the passenger in front was someone he knows, they exchanged pleasantries and they waved the driver to go. As if he read my mind, he turned and asked me what I am looking at and then told me to go. Since then, I realize that the saying that 'the law is no respecter of person(s) is not for the Road Safety.” But speaking to Nigeria Moment, the Public Relations Officer, NSCDC, Mr. Chimeziri Lowell (ASC1), said that keke drivers went on protest because Road Safety were discharging their legal duty alleging that they were illegally extorted. Asked if NSCDC is in any form of partnership with FRSC which makes FRSC to pack their impounded goods with the NSCDC he said: “There is no partnership of any sort. FRSC and NSCDC are both federal parastatals serving the same course. We have synergy among ourselves (all uniformed officials), and not just for FRSC only. “By virtue of proximity, Road Safety's bit is closer to us and we are authorized to keep their exhibits from the Imo State Command of FRSC.” On whether there was shooting in the protest by the keke drivers he said: “Yes there was shooting, but we were shooting in the air to disperse the mob who almost invaded us. As civil defenders, we defend the citizenry. We applied every possible means to calm them down but they refused to be calmed down. We used dialogue, address and even tear gas and they insisted and was surging forward. So we resorted to firing gun in the air. We didn't shoot anybody and anybody that was injured was not from our gun. Maybe that could have happened while they were trying to run when we were shooting in the air.” Corroborating, the Ag. PRO Federal Road Safety, Imo State Area Command, Mr. C.Y. Okemiri, stated that they have no problems with keke drivers but were doing their legitimate and lawful duty. He therefore called on keke operators to do the necessary things to avoid what they (keke operators) term as harassment. “We are doing our legitimate and lawful duty. We have no problems with keke operators. Everybody knows that they are not law abiding. They violate all the road rules and regulations; they carry over load, carry passengers in front, many of them don't have driving license and those that have, have expired ones.” Mr. Okemiri further stated that nobody was shot as claimed by keke drivers stressing that if anybody was shot, they should present the person. “Nobody was shot. If anybody was shot, who is the person, where is he? Is he in the hospital or mortuary? And if yes which hospital is the person(s).” He continued: “Civil Defence is like us. Mind you, offenders do not pay cash to FRSC. We have no backyard business with Civil Defence. There is nothing like partnership. We keep our impounded goods with NSCDC and that didn't start today. So whoever says we have partnership with NSCDC is their own personal opinion.” - See more at: http://themoment.com.ng/national/item/3904-keke-drivers-nscdc-road-safety-bicker-over-shooting#sthash.MTLzS8nV.dpuf