Tina Amanda
A Magistrate Court sitting in Isiokpo community in Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers State has granted bail to a member of Drivers Welfare Club of Nigeria, Chinedu Chimezie, on three counts bothering on felony, conduct capable of causing a breach of peace.
The Nigerian Police had arrested and arraigned Chimezie on the orders of the leadership of the National Association of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) within the Igwuruta Area for asking some drivers not to buy the union’s ticket.
According to the charges, Chimezie and six others now at large are alleged to have committed a felony by asking members of the Drivers Welfare Club of Nigeria not to buy the ticket of NURTW and forging an unregistered Drivers Welfare Ticket, an offense said to be punishable under Criminal Code of Rivers State 1999 as amended.
In his ruling on the bail application, the presiding Magistrate, Chief Magistrate L. Ishikaki, ruled that the defendant has the right to bail and the Drivers Welfare Club of Nigeria has a legitimate right to operate after that, adjourned to 9 May 2023 for hearing.
Our correspondent reports that Counsel to the NURTW declined to speak on the matter, while Counsel representing the Drivers Welfare Club of Nigeria, Chinedu Ihegwuro, insisted that the bail to his client indicates that his group has the right to operate without any interference by any other group.
On his part, the State Chairman Drivers Welfare Club of Nigeria, Jeremiah Dickson, in an interview with our correspondent at the premises of the Isiokpo court, expressed concern that while their member who was killed by Rivers State taskforce is lying at the mortuary, another government agency is making a move for the prosecution of one of their member in baseless allegations.
Dickson, who spoke in what appears to be a protest at the Isiokpo Court premises, asked the state government to intervene in the killing of their member and prevail on the NURTW to allow Drivers of Welfare Club of Nigeria to operate freely following their legal authority.
