THE TERROR CALLED VIO

By Ayowole Akintayo

My encounter with the Ayobo Iyana-Ipaja detachment of the Vehicle Inspection Officers on Tuesday 21October, 2008, is definitely a revelation and eye opener to the tyranny, reign of terror, unwarranted hardship and great injustice being visited on our good people of Lagos State in the name of revenue generation by all means. I mean by fire by thunder!
In the name of law enforcement, the power drunk and over-zealous officers have constituted themselves into the Law itself and a tin god judging by the level of arrogance and despotism displayed on that fateful day and Which through my journalistic instinct and investigation, I have discovered, to be the norm
Out of my crowded Schedule, I was driving, in the company of my vice chairman, to my son’s School, to settle certain urgent bills, when this dubious, lawless, erratic sharply un-intelligent extortioners flagged me down. As a law-abiding and responsible, I stopped, gave them my vehicle particulars and my I.D card as the Lagos State Chairman of Justice Party who was hurrying to an important event.
The particular officer attending to me, having discovered that my papers were up-to-date and as if looking for an an opportunity to nail me by all means for the purpose of financial extortion, the egregious officer asked for my driving licence which I promptly supplied.
At this stage however it was clear to me that this tin-god must hold me to ransom and disrupt my multi-million dollar worth assignment that fateful day and I was promptly resolved in my mind not to bulge or cooperate with their antics, for if they could oppress a relevant State party Chairman this way, what untold hardship, extortion and grave injustice must the poor ordinary folks suffer in the cruel hands of this overlords.
When the officer found nothing to nail me with, he began another frantic search through my documents, only to come up with a trump-up charge that one of my document was fake. How come I queried, when the money paid for this document was paid into a government designated account and same document issued by the relevant department in charge.
My investigation revealed that this officer was only trying mischievously to capitalise on a situation, during Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s second term, when he was forced to revoke the contract with the institution empowered to issue the papers to the public on behalf of government were no longer faithful in remitting money to government covers, notwithstanding the fact that government had earlier directed that money be paid to that account.
My hostile, unfriendly and hostile overlord without any regard for my age, position or status in the society promptly ordered my car be driven to their habitation of cruelty. I insisted on driving my own car now getting furious.
On getting to their enclave of unrighteousness, I was issued a bill of N5500.00 or their about but I promptly threw their bill of oppression back at them in protest. Even such unwarranted injustice and provocation was not visited on us by some past Military Governments. I asked to see their boss only to be led to the 2i/c, one Mr. Agbodu, who as if to add salt to injury on hearing my lawful protest, proceeded immediately to deflate three of my tyres.
I then gave him a piece of my mind, which he later referred to as curses, of course. ‘eni to ba sise epe, a je ise epe’. They have since, not only illegally deprived me the lawful use of my car but have also subjected me to untold hardship, ample waste precious, humiliation and a number of horrendous experiences.
I hereby recommend to His Excellency the immediate review and possible disbandment of the VIO, as presently constituted, and my car released with payment of adequate
damages and compensation.