CAN Boss Brutalised By Anambra Traffic Officials, Loot His Vehicle

Ven. Joseph Nweke, the Anambra State chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, has accused some Anambra State Road Traffic Management Agency, ARTMA, officials of attacking him and looting his vehicle at the Dennis Memorial Grammar School, DMGS round-about axis in Onitsha on Friday afternoon in the name of traffic control.
Nweke, an Anglican Archdeacon, claimed that ARTMA officials beat and battered him after he questioned their identity when they pounced on him for allegedly committing a traffic offence.
He confirmed that the officials, acting commando-style, took away his car battery, plate number, money, and other valuables during the process, and they quickly zoomed away to avoid retaliation from sympathisers who cursed them for attacking a cleric.
Ven. Nweke recounted his ordeal at the hands of the attackers, saying, “I escaped being killed eight hours before my Diamond Jubilee celebration (60th birthday, scheduled for today, Saturday) by hoodlums claiming to be working for the state government.”
“I invited Governor Charles Soludo to the celebration, which I will host for guests from all walks of life as it is a celebration of my time on earth and service to God and humanity,” he said.
“My problem began with them when I was driving past the DMGS roundabout and a tricycle in front of me was stopped by the gang dressed in plain clothes. During the process, one of them rushed up to me and asked why I was blocking the road; I explained that the tricycle they had stopped was the cause because it was in front of me.
“He immediately began dragging my car key, and his members began looting my car; they removed the battery, plate number, and everything else in the pigeonhole, including a large sum of money, the value of which I cannot estimate at this time.”
“They quickly rushed and put on their aprons when sympathisers yelled that they were criminals and fled the scene.”
“I reported the incident to the Onitsha Police Area Commander, Mr Gregory Itobore, and the Inland Town Divisional Police Officer, Mrs Tina Okeke, who directed her men to ensure the safety of the car that was abandoned at the scene of the incident,” he said.
Confirming the incident, Mrs Okeke, the DPO, told reporters in her office that she had heard several negative stories about ARTMA officials assaulting and causing harm to road users in the name of checking traffic offences.