Bolt driver shares experience of being dragged to police station
Stephen Abuwatseye, a Bolt driver involved in an incident with lawmaker Hon. Alex Ikwechegh, has revealed that he was forcibly taken to the police station by officers following the viral video of their encounter.
In a conversation with social media personality Martins Otse, known as VeryDarkMan, Abuwatseye explained that after the video circulated, Ikwechegh called the police, who then transported him to the station against his will.
He recounted, “After the video, he called some police officers. They bundled me into their vehicle. I wanted to drive my own car, but they said no. Two officers sat beside me while I was in the middle as they drove me to the station.”
Upon arrival, Abuwatseye stated he was not allowed to answer incoming calls and was not directly questioned about the incident. Instead, he claimed the police spoke to others who were not present and quickly accused him of fighting the lawmaker.
“When we got to the crime unit, the officer insisted he needed to hear both sides of the story. They suggested calling the lawmaker, and his security guard, who was there as a witness, called him,” he said. “The Investigating Police Officer (IPO) then went to the lawmaker’s house to conduct an investigation, leaving me at the station.”
Abuwatseye waited for over two hours, during which he explained that he recorded the incident for his protection. “I told him that if there’s a law against recording someone who threatens me, then I’m unaware of it. The honorable’s actions were becoming a threat to me, so I needed evidence,” he stated.
When Ikwechegh arrived at the station, Abuwatseye described how he was verbally attacked. “He started shouting and calling me names, saying I was a poor man and prideful. I remained silent as he insulted me.”
Abuwatseye also shared details about the delivery that led to the encounter. “Before the incident, I received a request from Bolt around 9:10 PM to pick up something at a garden. The passenger described the location, and I drove there to collect a package of snails.”
When he arrived at Ikwechegh’s residence, he called to let him know he was at the gate. However, the lawmaker initially refused to acknowledge him, leading to a misunderstanding. “When I called again, he yelled, ‘Are you stupid? Bring my stuff to me.’ I tried to explain that he should come get it himself, and that seemed to make him angry,” Abuwatseye recounted.
Abuwatseye left the police station later that day, still without his car, while Ikwechegh was not detained.