By CrossRiverWatch Admin
A groom to be in Cross River State, Mr. Peter Ogar has said he was manhandled by officials of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) after a disagreement on the safest way to handle vehicle papers to ensure everyone was safe from getting infected by the novel coronavirus.
The incident occurred at a failed culvert in Akpet Central, Biase local government axis of the Calabar – Ogoja – Katsina-Ala highway on Wednesday afternoon, a statement to CrossRiverWatch by Peter said.
According to Peter who said he was a passenger in a public commuter, trouble began when he intervened on an argument on safety between the road safety officials who had flagged down the vehicle he was traveling in to Calabar and the driver.
“The driver demanded that they sanitize their hands before he gives them the documents. They did not have. Seating at the front seat, I suggested that they just sight the documents. While I was still trying to educate the officer on the dangers of not having sanitizers while collecting and returning people’s documents even though they have their hand gloves on, this huge officer appeared and demanded that we step down from the vehicle.
“We were still trying to make them understand the dangers of their actions, and what we all need to be careful, the man practically pulled me out of the car, I asked him not to manhandle, he was all over my face shouting and telling me that I am a drunk, a cocaine addict and all other unprintable names.
“The driver was still trying to educate the officer that flagged us down and why sighting the documents was enough (when) the huge officer swung into the car took off the car keys, brought out a little knife which he used to remove the car plate numbers. He was shouting and telling us we are virus infested,” Ogar’s statement read.
According to him, he later approached the leader of the team who did not heed his pleas.
“He told me to get out. ‘Is the virus killing more people than you useless Cross Riverians are killing yourselves? Do you think we are all from Cross River state’ I told him he was very unprofessional to make such a statement.
“From behind, this huge officer, dragged me, slapped me severally and threatened to pull my eyes out with the small knife he was carrying. I restrained myself and with the intervention of people they had flag down he left me.
“They insisted, forcefully took the particulars from the driver after dragging him from the vehicle and threatening to beat him up, they noticed all the documents and everything required for a safe vehicle where intact and decided to let us go,” he said.
Ogar, who is soon to get wedded to his heartthrob, Vivian Orim, a lawyer urged the public to hold the corps responsible if any harm befalls him due to his manhandling by the road safety official.
Peter has since published his side of the story on his Facebook wall.
Meanwhile, CrossRiverWatch has reached the Cross River Sector Command of the FRSC for comments.