A physically challenged artisan, Solomon Umudi, has accused operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) of unlawfully seizing his car in Benin City, the Edo State capital, over inscriptions he wrote on it criticising the government, including “Nigerians are hungry.”....TAP TO CONTINUE READING

Umudi, who said he earns a living making car seats, stated that the incident occurred after he used his vehicle to express frustration over the country’s economic hardship and governance challenges.

According to him, the writings on the car included statements such as: “Tinubu is the worst president, Nigerian pastors have failed us, no judiciary in Nigeria, Nigerians are hungry.”

Narrating his ordeal, Umudi said that without inviting him for questioning, the DSS operatives did not follow due process before taking away his car.

“As you can see, I’m a physically challenged person. In my country, it is as if nobody is allowed to speak the truth again,” he said.

He lamented what he described as the growing suppression of small business owners and youths, arguing that harsh economic conditions and insecurity had made survival difficult.

“I have handwork for myself, but the way things are going in this country, we are being frustrated to the extent that people who have small businesses, and the youths, are no longer doing anything,” Umudi said.

Explaining the reason for the inscriptions, he said they reflected his personal experiences and the hardship faced by many Nigerians.

“I bought a car, and to express myself on how I’m feeling, I wrote on it, ‘Tinubu is the worst president, Nigerian pastors have failed us, no judiciary in Nigeria, Nigerians are hungry,’ to let people know that what I wrote on the car is how I feel because of what we are going through,” he said.

Umudi also disclosed that he had personally paid ransom in the past to secure the release of a kidnapped student, underscoring the impact of insecurity on ordinary citizens.

“It will shock you to know that last year, I paid ransom to secure the release of someone who was going to school and was kidnapped,” he added.

He alleged that DSS operatives used deception to seize his car around the Akezuwa and Stadium Road areas of Benin City.

“All of a sudden, the DSS used a trick and came and carried my car.

“They drove close to the car and pretended to hit it, and before I knew what was happening, they came out of their own vehicle, rushed my car, and before I could get someone to take the car out of the road, they hijacked it, even though it was not blocking traffic.

“But the DSS did not invite me. They just came, hijacked the car around Akezuwa and Stadium Road, Benin City, collected the keys from the driver, and zoomed off with the car. Till now, I don’t know where they took the car to, whether their office or elsewhere,” Umudi said.

He insisted that the car was not obstructing traffic at the time and that he was not given any explanation or invitation for questioning.

“They would have at least invited me for questioning, as it happens in sane places. Invite someone you feel committed an offence, and if the person refuses to honour the invitation, then you can take action,” he said.

Umudi further claimed that less than 30 minutes after his vehicle was taken, a governor’s convoy passed through the same area.

Describing the incident as an attempt to silence him, Umudi insisted that he would continue to speak out.

“So it means that in this country, I cannot speak my mind. I can’t express myself over what I’m going through. It is not as if the government is assisting me or assisting physically challenged people. Yet, if we speak out, it is a problem,” he said.

“They started the fire, and the fire will start burning now. I will continue to speak out because nobody can still afford to feed in this country. I’m hustling on my own, and that is how I’m feeding.

“There is nothing the government is doing for us. If we manage to do small things, the government still doesn’t want us to talk. They now come to hit my head so that I will not talk. I will talk and continue to talk until I die.”

He stressed that freedom of expression is a fundamental right in a democratic society.

“It is my right to express myself. That is why we are in a democracy. I have the right to criticise the government. I have the right to criticise the governor and the president,” Umudi said.

He also highlighted the lack of basic infrastructure, noting that he often carries a generator in his car to power his work.

“The pastors there, are they not men of God? The judiciary there, are they not human beings? Talk to them. Don’t be afraid of them. When people talk, the government listens and takes the necessary action to do something for the people, fix roads, and provide electricity.

“My generator is even inside the car because whenever I’m going out or going to work, I carry the generator. Is that how it is supposed to be in a country?” he asked.

Umudi called on authorities to listen to citizens’ concerns rather than suppress dissent, warning that the action taken against him would not deter his resolve.

“A country that is supposed to provide for its citizens, meanwhile, they travel abroad. Do they not see what is happening there and replicate that in Nigeria? This thing they did to me now, I’m coming for them!” he said.