Our bloody encounter with Okada riders -VIOs

The white-clad vehicle inspectors, otherwise known as the VIOs, are now at the receiving end of this untoward development. A good number of vehicles have been seized but not without a price. As those properties are gone, so are some body parts. So, in the cause of their duties these traffic officers end up picking […]

The white-clad vehicle inspectors, otherwise known as the VIOs, are now at the receiving end of this untoward development. A good number of vehicles have been seized but not without a price. As those properties are gone, so are some body parts. So, in the cause of their duties these traffic officers end up picking up their medical bills, even though they are public servants and work for the government. The case seems to be something else with the VIOs as some have been incapacitated without compensation, while others have had their children drop out of school due to the conditions they found themselves in the line of duty.

On their part, the commercial motorists, who are frequently blamed for the incidents, claimed that the VIOs and road traffic officers often overstep their boundaries and caused such problems for themselves.

The story of Baba Adisa Kayode, 54, who works at the Vehicle Inspection Office in Abuja, is an example of one of these ever-growing cases of ‘hit by a motorist’. He narrated his ordeal with a tinge of regrets while fighting back tears. A father of eight, Adisa has lost one of his arms. Though he had been discharged from the hospital, he travels to Obafemi Awolowo Teaching Hospital in Ife for routine medical check-ups monthly in spite of his poor financial situation.  Mr Adisa’s first daughter, who was in the university, had to drop out due to his condition.

“On that fateful day, we went for operation at the Berger Round About in Utako, I was checking the particulars of a commercial bus and the driver just slammed the door on my hand and it got injured with a very deep cut. When I was rushed to the hospital it was discovered that I was diabetic and it became a problem for the injury to heal.

“After trying all they could to manage the situation, the doctors said to save my life and stop the infection from spreading they had no choice but to amputate the hand. I was in the hospital for three more years and all these while I was taking care of myself and with the mercy of God and some good Samaritans. I spent my savings and all I toiled for in this life. The medical bill was around N950,000.

“Some of my children have dropped out of school due to my financial condition. I don’t have the resources to maintain them in school,” said a tearful Mr Adisa.

Equally pathetic is the case of one Mr Rotimi, who also works as a VIO in Abuja. Unlike Mr Adisa, who has had a limb cut off, his 37-year-old colleague has one of his legs damaged. He wears his uniform without a pair of boots as he should.

Narrating how it all happened, Mr Rotimi reminiscence: “We were deployed to halt the activities of illegal bus stops and motor parks, on seeing me in my uniforms, one of the bus drivers just sped up his vehicle directly at me and hit me.

“All I could remember was that I saw myself in a hospital. I stayed there for one year. In spite of the treatment, the leg did not heal.  I was then discharged. After consulting with some people, I was taken to a native healer because the doctor said they would have to cut off the leg.

“We tried and traced one man in Kado, Abuja who is into orthopedic treatment He charged us N450, 000 but he was able to fix the leg. I stayed at home for over two years. Presently, the leg still has some issues.”

Another pitiable story was told by Ayojobi Oyedeji, who had his lap bone pulled out of the socket and his urinary system almost damaged.

“In July, 9, 2007, I was posted for an assignment at AYA junction, I saw a bus dropping off passengers at a wrong bus stop and I accosted him. I told him to leave but he refused. I was about to enter the vehicle to arrest him when he zoomed off. Meanwhile there was an abandoned vehicle close to the door, as he was zooming off, the side mirror of the abandoned vehicle held my leg and tore it. In the process, I suffered a terrible injury, my lap bone pulled out from its socket. I asked him to stop but he refused. At that point, blood started gushing out. Then a female passenger seated at the back seat started shouting and beating the driver, she said ‘do you want to kill him? Stop, stop’,” said the 42-year-old Oyedeji, who sounded heartbroken and depressed.

Oyedeji further said, “I then begged the driver to take me to the nearest hospital but he refused until when the passengers said he must take me, he eventually took me to Asokoro General Hospital.

“When he got to the hospital he lied to them that he saw me on the road, that I was hit by an unknown vehicle. By then I had lost much blood. When one of the doctors came I was able to tell him that he was the one that hit me and so they didn’t let him go. At that point, they had discovered that my lap socket had pulled out and my urinary system damaged.

“I spent one year at home. Doctors even told me I cannot use the leg again. I spent N450, 000 on treatment but thank God I am still managing the leg.”

Beside these three cases, some vehicle inspection officers had also encountered unusually rough experiences with motorists including physical assaults.

According to Aminu Umar, he was assaulted recently by a bus driver and his assistant, while in a bid to make an arrest. Instead of arresting the traffic-violating bus driver, Aminu Umar succeeded in having him beaten with sticks and iron rods almost to a point of coma. He begged them to allow him go but they refused.

Similarly, the ferocity of the road-users did not end with motorists only as some commercial motorcyclists widely known as “Okada,” barred from operating in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), have allegedly turned vicious and violent against law enforcement agents.

Austine Odey recounted how he was nearly macheted while in the line of duty by some purported commercial motorcyclists, who normally operate after dark.

“We went to work at Gudu/Nepa junction, after the operation. We set out to leave. On getting to the junction, we saw some Okada riders moving towards us in mob like manner. The security men we went with all ran away. I then moved to the side of the road, they still followed me, I then tried to stop a vehicle to escape. When the vehicle stopped before I could jump in, I just saw a long sword coming from one of them, directly to my neck from behind, I then used my hand to stop it and that was how the sword cut my hand deeply.

“They didn’t stop at that as they kept shouting ‘kill him, kill him’. I then jumped inside a big gully. That was how I escaped. Those boys are extremely dangerous and have their weapons on them all the time. We do all these dangerous job without any compensation, no insurance. We are on our own,” Odey said.

Despite these tales of woe and despair, the authorities seemed nonchalant and somewhat indifferent to the sharp practices of some commercial motorists as related in this regard by road traffic officers and law enforcement agents.

However, a member of Self-Employed Commercial Drivers, Association, Abuja, said registered members of his association are law abiding and citizens thus cannot deliberately injure an officer of the law. Mr Okey Chima, who discredited the traffic officers’ perspective, bemoaned the manner in which some of theVIOs operate.

“Some of them behave in an uncivilized manner. Even if you don’t commit an offence, they make sure they use a flimsy excuse and also treat you as if you are not in your country,” he retorted.

Reacting, the Director of the Directorate of Road Traffic Service, Col Wilson Rotimi Alade (rtd), said the hazards they encounter on the job is a great challenge, but, the greater challenge is the public perception of their role in the society.

“Our major challenge is the public perception and misconception about our officers. Just like it is said, the police are your friends; the VIO is also your friend. The public should know that the VIO is there to serve them, even if we generate money, it is not for our officers; it is for the government. The government also uses such money for provision of essential services for the public.”

On the issue of insurance and compensation, he said, “We do have a clinic that handles basic treatments but when it gets beyond that, they are referred to government hospitals. We try our best in our own little way to help such victims but most times we are incapacitated.  However, we believe the best solution is to have them in a system where they would be properly compensated like other organizations that have such packages and other insurance packages.

“But in any case we collaborate with police stations around to make arrests and prosecute. We have a lot of cases in court,” he added.

In her reaction, Police Public Relation Officer, FCT Command, DSP Doris England told Sunday Trust that it is a criminal offence to assault any officer of the law on duty. However she said there are probably complaints lodged by the DRTS in some police divisions.

But as far as the FCT command is concern and to the best of her knowledge, there have not been any formal complains of that nature by the DRST. However, she said it does not mean there aren’t any in some other divisions.

“We have many divisions. If there has not been compliant in the FCT command, it does not mean there is none elsewhere. These are cases that can be handled by the divisions themselves.