A staff of Channels Television, Charles Opurum, has alleged that he was almost lynched by a group of northerners during a violent incident at a Restopark fueling station in Rumuola.
According to him, the incident started when he tried to enter the station to buy petrol, but a vehicle was blocking the entrance while its driver spoke with an elderly man. He said he honked for a few seconds for them to move, which led to an argument.
Charles Opurum claimed that as he got down from his car, the elderly man approached him and slapped him without warning. He said he reacted by slapping the man back, but was immediately surrounded and attacked by several Northerners at the station.
He alleged that the group beat him from different directions, and one of them even used a prayer chaplet to hit him. In the middle of the attack, he managed to enter his car and drive away.
He also claimed that a police officer attached to the fueling station damaged his car by smashing both the front and back windshields. According to him, one of the attackers held onto his vehicle as he was driving off but later fell to the ground.
Opurum said he reported the incident to the police, and the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Rumuepirikom Division, CSP John Ayah, sent patrol teams to arrest those involved.
At the police station, different accounts of the incident were given. However, CCTV footage from the fueling station was reviewed and reportedly showed that the elderly man slapped Opurum first.
Following this, those involved allegedly admitted fault and began to beg for forgiveness. They also paid for the replacement of his windshields and repairs to his car.
Despite this, Opurum said he is not satisfied and plans to report the police officer who damaged his vehicle to higher authorities for disciplinary action.
His account of the incident
‘’Yesterday I suffered a very vicious attack at the hands of ndi Aboki at Restopark fueling station Rumuola.
On trying to access the station to buy petrol for my car the entrance was blocked by a vehicle apparently negotiating with an elderly northerner. I kept honking for him to get out of the way so I could pass. It took them over 15 seconds before the vehicle moved. The northerner starts cussing me out for honking at them. Me too I replied him from within my car as I drove past him towards the pump.
As I alighted from the vehicle, the man approached me aggressively and slapped me unprovoked. I immediately returned the slap with power that knocked him back.
In a split second I was surrounded by Aboki people there. They were hitting me from all angles, but I managed to drive away from there. However a policeman attached to the fueling station astonishingly damaged my front and back windshields. One of them that was hanging on my vehicle and punching me fell off as I was driving away and my tire climbed his foot.
I immediately went to the police to report. The DPO of Rumuepirikom police station, CSP John Ayah sent 3 patrol vehicles to arrest the perpetrators. Can you imagine that all the Aboki people there came out like ants to resist the police?
Anyways the baba that caused the issue by sl@pping me was picked up along with a handful of others. On seeing me, the manager of the fueling station expressed his regrets at how I was treated and provided me with the CCTV footage of the incident. Now the story shifts to the DPO’s office.