CITY NEWS AEPB task force assaults Recession: Cleric gives residents hope taxi driver in Abuja

Acombined task force team of Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB) comprising of soldiers and other security personnel yesterday assaulted a taxi driver opposite Digital Bridge Institute Utako, Abuja.

A witness said the incident happened at about 11:12a.m. when the task force team drove to the place in three Hilux vans to seize items displayed for sale by hawkers in the area.

He said the task force beat up the driver, identified as Kunle, when he tried to help a vulcaniser whom the task force were trying to seize his machine.

Our reporter, who also witnessed the incident, saw eight security personnel kicking the taxi driver, while another soldier used a stick to hit him on the head.

They bundled him into one of the vans after brutalizing him for some minutes.

While the chaos was going on, the vulcaniser fled, abandoning his machine, which the team impounded.

City News gathered that the assaulted taxi driver gave his car for washing in the area and left to eat at a restaurant when the task force team arrived the place.

AEPB Public Relations Officer, Mr. Samuel Musa, did not pick several calls made to his mobile phone number and he did not also reply to a text message sent demanding for comments on the incident. The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Field Superintendent of The Apostolic Church, Apostle John Buzu, has urged residents not to lose hope in the face of economic recession.

He urged them to see it as a sign and adjust themselves by learning from it.

Apostle Buzu said this while addressing journalists as part of activities to celebrate the church’s 13th Annual Convention on Wednesday. He said residents should learn how to better their tomorrow with the recession adding that,“As we pray we must also plan and we should adjust and prepare for advancement in 2017.”

“In the midst of recession there can be progression and God brings out the best,” he said.

He however appealed to Nigerian leaders to be disciplined in their thoughts, actions and characters in order to be shining example and produce result to the citizenry.

“If you put the wrong person in an office, you have only succeeded in creating a problem for yourself,” he said.