After the member representing Aba North and South Constituency in the House of Representatives, under the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Alexander Mascot Ikwechegh, was caught on camera assaulting a Bolt driver in his Maitama home, reactions have continued to pour in.
In the video, Ikwechegh was seen angrily confronting and hitting the driver, while making threatening remarks on the driver said to have come to deliver a snail to the lawmaker living around Farmer’s Market in Maitama.
“Can you imagine this rat? I can make this man disappear in this Nigeria and nothing will happen,” the angry lawmaker could be heard saying in the video, claiming he is a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
A second part of the video shows the driver sitting in his car without a shirt, claiming that Alex Ikwechegh tore his clothes.
The video has sparked widespread outrage across social media, with calls for accountability and justice.
Bolt, a popular ride-hailing platform in Nigeria, has not yet publicly commented on the incident involving one of its drivers.
The House of Representatives and APGA leadership have also not issued any statements regarding the actions of Ikwechegh.
Expectedly, with the assault video trending on social media, netizens have been demanding for the lawmaker to be arrested and made to face the law.
In a Facebook post comment regarding the video, 2023/2024 Facebook Influencer of the Year, Maria Ude Nwachi, said it is very dehumanizing for someone elected to represent his people to turn around to assault a fellow Nigerian.
She said: “Alex not only slapped the Bolt driver 3 times, he called him a monkey and tore his clothes. In less than 2 minutes, this man dehumanised his fellow being because he sees him as a nobody. Apparently, this heartless Rep is a mixed race, who sees himself as white and superior and we as monkies, but doesn’t mind using monkies to continously benefit from our retrogressive nation that accord regard and respect to our oppressors.
“This is why when I was elected to serve in house of Assembly, I NEVER addressed myself as Honourable and would do no such thing on this earth. Honourable Barbarians. Honor ScaIIywags.
“This half white who claim superiority is even more promodial and primitive in his xen○phobia and racism. Just watch the video and you will think it is a man in an apartheid country dehumanising a black man or a KKK in in Alabama or any Sundown city in America about to give a blk man the you know what treatment.”
Similarly, Chika Emmanuela said that medical test should be carried out on the lawmaker to ascertain his sanity for slapping a Nigerian as he’s intoxicated by power.
“Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. He is being intoxicated by power. Besides, drugs test should be conducted on him ASAP,” she said.
Interestingly, a netizen, Humphrey Otubo Chukwu, said the Bolt driver got what he deserved for not being respectful enough to step out of his car to deliver a package to the lawmaker.
“The HOR member did well by slapping him well. Slaps are meant to reset numb brains. You chose to do a delivery work and refused to deliver. That’s dereliction of duty.
“On the threat to ‘disappear’ the man, I think it’s a statement of self indictment. Umunna should join hands with the police to investigate him. Who knows the number of people he has made to disappear already,” he said.
Similarly, a netizen, Rich Stone, said it was no big deal for the Bolt driver to step out of his car to deliver the package to the lawmaker.
“In certain lines of work (like transportation) you need to be humble.. Stepping out of the car and handing over the package isn’t supposed to be a big deal – but recording the client was more important to him,” he said.