An Abuja Based Lady Narrates A Bitter Experience With VIO Officials In Abuja

Despite the message and orientation by the federal government that change begins with us, it seems all those are formalities and not applicable to civil servants especially those who are at the helms of affair in the nation.

A woman named Affi Bassey has taken to her page to explain her ordeal in the hands of the VIO officials in Abuja. According to her, her driver’s license expired May 17th and normally under the FRSC law, you have a grace period of 7 days (a week) to renew the documents but it seems these VIO officials have another agenda, not only did they arrest her, they deflate her tyres and made her pay a whopping 15000 naira instead of the normal 10.500 which is the official price and guess what? No receipts.

Read her order below…

It happened to me!

You know that state of being where you get bullied and harassed and you are helpless to do anything, simply because the person is ‘in power’ at that moment? That’s the state I was earlier today.

VIO stopped me around 9am today to check my papers.
So my vehicle papers expired May 17th, precisely 4 days ago.

VIO: Madam you have to renew your papers o.

Me: Yes I know, I will do it end of the month when I get salary. I have a grace period abi?

VIO: Madam the grace period is 7 days before the expiry date
You have to do your vehicle papers…

(and then pauses)…

Me: 😷

VIO: You have to go to our office

Me: Okay sir

And he enters the car after so much drama and fuss of not sitting in front since the person seated there did not get down for him. They took me into their VIO garage.

All these were after collecting my 5years drivers license and pocketing it. I asked for it and they said they’ll give me once we get to their office. (They lied)

They booked me, and the madam in charge of that unit in Katampe, Abuja said I have to renew my vehicle papers for 12,000 (official price is 10,500) and instead of a penalty fee of 9000, I should pay 3000.
(Thought she was trying to help, turned out I was wrong. She dey form tough nut to crack, dey show power)

Finally got the money and asked them to show me the office to pay to. For where? They refused o. They insisted I must give the 15000 to the officer who arrested me. And when I refused and went looking for the right place to pay, they deflated my front Tyre.

Their excuse was I refused to give them my car key.

Meanwhile, they had my driver’s license with them, I was packed inside their compound which has a gate, so of course, I couldn’t run out even if I wanted to. And they equally saw the frantic effort I made to get the papers done in their office.

*sigh*
Lalas, I paid the 15000 naira to them, paid 500 to get a ‘vulcanizer’ to fix my tyre, and was told to come back tomorrow to get my drivers license and my vehicle papers.
No receipt.

Today is one of the very few times I have felt like leaving this country for good… It left me feeling like I got harassed for wanting to do the right thing.