PDP aspirant ‘unleashes security aides on politician for refusing to return car gift’
A former Delta councillor was allegedly beaten to stupor for refusing to return a car reportedly gifted him by another local politician.
Samuel Askia, a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) House of Assembly aspirant for Isoko South Constituency II, reportedly gave a car to Victor Eterigho two years ago.
Eterigho is a former councillor from Uzere community in Isoko South local government area of Delta.
Askia, who is also son to the Managing Director, Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (DESOPADEC), Ogieh Asikia, recently sent police officers to retrieve the car. But Eterigho refused to release the vehicle.
Last Wednesday, the PDP aspirant reportedly sent his security aides, some of them police officers, to beat Eterigho up.
According to Sahara Reporters, Askia made Eterigho the director-general of his campaign in 2018. He then gifted him a car with all documents bearing Eterigho’s name. But when the political relationship ended, Askia came for his car.
“The attack and injuries inflicted on me were carried out by police officers attached to Samuel Askia,” Eterigho said.
“They came to my house at Irri to demand the return of the car gift to me about two years ago in appreciation of my efforts towards Samuel Askia House of Assembly ambition.
“Because the car was not immediately available, they forced me inside their Hilux, molesting me in the process.
“And when we got to Eboh hotel, his police officers tortured and molested me the more; hitting me with the butt of the gun in the head, eyes and even threatened to blow me off.
“It is all lies from the pit of hell that the army beat me at Uzere community as being speculated by Askia and his group. They want to cover up the attack on me by his policemen.”
The attack on the former councillor followed his refusal to support Askia’s candidacy at the just concluded Uzere delegates conference to elect the community’s new leadership last week Tuesday.
Another such car gift given to Uwoma Odhiwu at the same time the former councillor got his was also retrieved from him by the same police officers attached to Askia.
The documents for both vehicles reportedly bore names of the receivers, indicating that the cars were gifts from Askia.
Askia and his close political allies were said to have insisted that the two vehicles were not gifts but officially given to Odhiwu and Eterigho to run his failed campaign for the Isoko South Constituency II House of Assembly seat in the 2019 general elections.
One of Askia’s close allies who identified himself as Daniel said at no time were police officers attached to Askia beat up the former councillor.
He maintained that the army beat up the former councillor at Uzere community over his unruly behaviour.
“Don’t lie against Samuel Askia’s police officers,” Daniel said, referring to Eterigho.
“I was there when the police met you. They didn’t touch you. They only retrieved from you the official car attached to the office you occupied as the DG of Samuel Askia movement, and you are no longer the DG of Samuel Askia movement.”
