How Governor Al-Makura and His Convoy Beat a Family of Three To Pulp On A Highway

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  • Go To Hell Or Take The Case To Wherever You Wish—Al-Makura To The Family
  • I Am The Governor’s ADC. You Can Go To Any Length You Wish, We Are Equal To The Task. -Al-Makura’s ADC To The family

11216705_1665318823703799_3946542920922706490_nIn an incident that may be termed as Executive impunity, lawlessness and rascality that is always exhibited by Governors, Government officials and their convoys on the road manifested again this week when Governor Umaru Tanko Al-Makura and his convoy beat up a family of three to pulp after perforating and scratching the body of their car.

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The Occupants’ car perforated and scratched by Gov’s security details

In a Petition written by Lois Iorvihi one of the occupants of the car and submitted  to  the National Human Rights Commission, said that; “on Thursday, 10th September, 2015 while returning to Abuja from my brother’s funeral which took place in Benue, the journey from Makurdi was smooth until I got to Nasarawa Eggon. I was with my elder sister Joy Iorvihi, my brother Joseph Iorvihi and my niece Lianater Iorvihi. According to Ms. Lois she said; “If you are familiar with the roads in that axis, you will know that the bends there are dangerously sharp and just by the last bend before Nasarawa Eggon town, a dispatch rider overtook my car and was crisscrossing in front of me, immediately I heard the blaring of sirens behind me and as i made to clear for the oncoming convoy, an SUV loaded with armed security men pushed my car a black Peugeot 407 off the road. In agitation, i managed to bring the car to a halt but into the bush with the right front tyre hanging on the edge of a ditch.”

“Immediately I brought the car to a stop, four riot Mobile Police men descended on the car using the nozzle of their rifles to perforate and scratch the body of my car. While this was going on, my brother who was seated on the passenger seat wound down and pleaded with the Police men saying: “PLEASE SIR, TAKE IT EASY. CAN’T YOU SEE THAT SHE IS A WOMAN AND ALREADY AGITATED?”

Bloodied-Jerry
One of the family members Jerry by name who beaten by the Governor’s security

Lois said; “Immediately they dragged my brother out of the car, used the butt of their rifles on his jaw and beat him up seriously.  While this was going on, my sister Joy brought out her phone to record and take some pictures but a certain man on the convoy in plain-clothes saw her and seized her phones and Ipad, and smashed all the mobile devices they found in the car. Meanwhile I had gone hysterical and went about screaming in the middle of the road shouting, “Is this fair,” repeatedly.”

 

According to her petition she said; “By this time, traffic had started to build up on both sides of the road. Someone from amongst the governor’s people walked up to me and whispered while pointing to a car behind me to go and beg their ‘oga.’ Before i could make a turn, a heavily tinted car drove up beside me and the occupant in the back seat wound down. It was only then that i realised that the VIP in question was Governor Tanko Al Makura of Nasarawa state. The first thing the Governor said was, “Young girl, you are so rude. Look at how you’re improperly dressed” (I was wearing a short gown that covered up to my knees). I immediately fired back at His Excellency, Governor Tanko Al Makura and said: “How am I rude? Is this fair? Is this why we voted for you? We did not vote for you so that your convoy will run us out of the road. Look at what your security men are doing? They are destroying my car, beating up my brother and smashing all our mobile devices just because we had the misfortune of driving in front of your convoy? Is this really fair?”11227389_10153033088782703_826089028936007137_n Governor Al Makura fired back at me saying: “You can take the case to wherever you wish or go to hell.” He wound up and his ADC who was standing by the car window pushed me away and got into the car. I saw his name tag and called out his name, RINGIM! And he fired back at me saying, “YES, THAT IS MY NAME. I AM THE GOVERNOR’S ADC. YOU CAN GO TO ANY LENGTH YOU WISH; WE ARE EQUAL TO THE TASK. WE WILL HANDLE YOU. RAT!” then zoomed off.

As standers-by who were watching from the sidelines advanced towards us to sympathize with us and make enquiries, a truckload of policemen came in gangster style and bundled Joy and Joseph into the car, handed me my car keys which they had seized earlier and asked that I follow their Toyota Hilux pick up van and they drove us to Nasarawa Eggon Police Division. On getting to the station in Nasarawa Eggon I was charged with: 1) OBSTRUCTING THE CONVOY OF GOVERNOR TANKO AL MAKURA. 2) INTENTIONAL INSULT TO GOVERNOR TANKO AL MAKURA. “We were detained until 5:30pm when the CSO to Al-Makura made a call to the DPO of Nasarawa Eggon Police division, one Mr. Atta to transfer us to Force CID in Lafia for detention until they return from wherever. The serial no. of our case in the Nasarawa Eggon police division is 135 while our IPO is Opeoluwa Apo. We arrived Lafia at about 6.00pm and were taken to the area command with the OC Legal waiting for us at the order of the CP who was notified by another senior police officer I had called for help on the matter while in Nasarawa Eggon.11221343_10153033088772703_1647209466648293422_n I was asked to write another statement at the area command which i did. Still under detention, the area commander came in at about 9.00pm and asked that we let the matter go and write a letter of apology addressed to His Excellency, Governor Tanko Al Makura of Nasarawa state for obstructing his convoy, insulting and being rude to him. I refused to write the apology letter and was detained until 11:00am on Friday 11th September, 2015. I was amazed when the police handed over my car keys the next morning without any official procedure. My car couldn’t start so i got a towing van to tow it back to Abuja.”

 

As we speak Joseph who will be called to the Nigerian bar on the 20th October, 2015 is in pains and presently under observation in a government hospital somewhere in Abuja. Upon my release from Police detention, I filed my complaint at the National Human Rights Commission in Lafia as part of the procedures to seek for redress.”12009584_10153033088827703_101267425234292208_n Aside this present case, this medium also learnt that other two person has experienced such case at the hand of the Governor , for instance one Kenneth Dubem Nwane who shared his experience also said: “ I was posted for my national service to Nasarawa State and I had to open an account with GTB in Karu. In august 2015, I received a message from my bank, to come for the collection of my new debit card as my old card was about to expire in September 2015. I was in a car driving towards Mararaba/Karu area, unfortunately for us, Governor Tanko Umaru Al-Makura and his convoy were at the market area for a visit. Naturally twisted and ‘mad’, as always the security personnel attached to him were looking unfriendly, we knew and understood our limit.”

The car I was in was parked just beside one of the Hilux cars that were part of Al-Makura’s convoy. We stopped and made no move until the traffic warden gave a go ahead. Given that the traffic was terrible, cars were too close to each other and so the driver in almakuras hilux who appeared to be security personnel said; ”shebi you know wetin you dey do?” My driver replied, ‘‘Yes, of course”. My driver kept moving forward, and without warning the driver in Al-Makura’ s convoy banged hard with his palm on the glass of the back door as it was fully wound up. The whole glass shattered and some of the glass got to my skin. We looked at him, I simply encouraged the driver and we took off. This is not change. Tanko Al-Makura should face the law. Also, one comedian by name Enenche Enenche narrated how he had the same experience, he said; “I left Abuja on that fateful day, driving to Makurdi alone in my ash 406 car (TK 124 KUJ). The journey was smooth until I encountered the convoy of Governor Al Makura. I know that that each time you hear siren blaring from behind, the best thing is to give way. It is either you park completely or if the road it wide enough, you give way. In my own case, His convoy way coming from my opposite on a single lane. A bridge was in front, I was on top speed, I felt since I was not in any way obstructing VIP movement, the convoy would go it’s way and I go my way.”

“I saw them from a distance and had calculated already, all off a sudden, dark green 406 full of men with black suits left their lane and faced me at top speed.  I had to apply automatic break, there was a bridge in front, if I maintained the same velocity, I would have either crashed with the 406 or I crashed into the bridge… I applied break and veered of the road and found myself inside the bush… Thank God nothing happened to me, except my bumper that got bent and stabilizers that shifted. This happened at exactly where that water treatment plant is which is less than 3KM from the popular Army checkpoint of Akwanga.”

“Why I concluded he is the one is that I saw PILOT 01 in front and lot of Nassarawa state government branded cars including the official car of the Governor, carrying the seal of the Governor of Nassarawa State. Please help me tell His Excellency, Governor Almakura that when Akwe Doma was the governor, he Alhaji Tanko Almakura drove with us side by side on that road without crisis.” When my people in Lafia voted for him, he didn’t push us or beat (as in some persons’ case) on that road. I think the recklessness of his convoy is becoming too dangerous and offensive to the sensibility of anything leadership represent.”

3 Comments
  1. FRANCIS MAIRIGA says

    They re all the same

  2. Yahaya D. Daudu says

    Power! that intoxicant. I use to respect Al-Makura until I read this. That was the man we were all sympathetic with when a section of his assembly were bent on chasing him out of office. Now I see why. He looks like a tyrant alright. But the office of a governor is not the ultimate. Once I also experienced this when we went to the airport in Minna to welcome the then governor of Niger state Babangida Aliyu, the speed of the convoy is better seen than imagine no wonder on the western by-pass just after the junction to the police HQ an old man riding on a bicycle was crushed with broken legs and blood all over the convoy never stopped to attend to that old folk. Exercising power in this clime is so crude. Our law enforcement agent will take orders that even an insane mind will consider repugnant. Let us wait and see how justice will play itself out. Though one can conclude from Ringim’s statement “you can go to any extent we are equal to the task” that’s a man employed to protect us and ensure justice and orderly society.

  3. Abe A.A says

    Very unfortunate, if all this stories are true without the victims saying offensive words to the governor. Then I am highly ashame and disappointed with securities guys the governor himself.

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