Rivers Taskforce Harass Trader With Machete At Agip Flyover

By Kelechi Esogwa-Amadi

A horrible scene unbefitting of a civilised society was witnessed on Monday morning, specifically at 10:45 a.m. at the Agip Flyover axis of Ikwerre Road, Port Harcourt.

A group of angry looking young men in jeans and pink aprons, arrived at a shop adjacent the Agip Flyover and swooped on the owner of the shop and be his goods.

TPCN gathered that the young men drove to the shop in a white Hilux and packed in front of it, then rushed out, with some of them wielding machetes, and began to harass the shop owner in a Gestapo-like manner.

While some were busy carrying the items the shop owner displayed in front of his shop, such as glass tables, some were busy harassing him and trying to pull him by the trousers, making passersby and motorists who saw the embarrassing scene sneer with disgust at the attitude of the young men believed to be task force officials.

TPCN learnt that the offence of the shop owner was that he displayed some of his goods in front of his shop.

According to a source, every plea by the shop owner fell on deaf ears as the task force refused to listen to him.

The source narrated: “The more he pleaded, the more they pushed him. They wanted to arrest and drag him to their Hilux Van but he was pleading. I was coming from Agip roundabout that time. You need to see how they were pushing the guy, as if he is a criminal. I don’t know whether they don’t want traders again in this state.

“I thought Governor stopped them before, now the have come back. And they now carry matchets. Do they want to be killing traders or what? I don’t understand o.”

The source, a lady, said she couldn’t watch the scene to the end as she had to enter a vehicle to continue with her journey.

When TPCN went to the shop to hear from the owner, a young girl around there said he went out. When asked if the task force arrested him, the girl: “I don’t know. I’m just coming.”