A 38-year-old commercial bus driver, Kester Edun, who was handcuffed by some policemen to a patrol van in the Oredo Local Government Area of Edo State has recounted his ordeal.

The victim said he did not commit any offence.

The victim, a native of Delta State, had earlier been stopped by the security operatives from the Esigie Police Division.

The policemen were said to have searched him but found nothing incriminating on him.

His passengers, however, fled when the security operatives found something suspected to be hemp.

Edun said it dawned on him that the policemen were after him when they refused to go after the fleeing passenger.

He said, “The security operatives cuffed my hand to their van and dragged me on the road to compel me to admit to being an accomplice to the passenger.”

He claimed to have lost some amount of money and his phone in the process.

He told newsmen on Friday that, “I did not have any incriminating thing on the bus. When the passenger was searched, they found an empty pack of cigarettes in his pocket. Later, the boy ran away. I asked them to run after him, but they ignored me.

“They handcuffed me to the vehicle, adding that I must accept that I was the boy’s accomplice.

“I told them that I did not know the boy, but they cuffed and dragged me from First (Junction) to Third Junction. The policemen parked and started hitting me and I did not know what happened afterwards because I fainted.”

It was learnt that Edun was later taken to a private hospital by the policemen, where he was handcuffed to a hospital bed and later detained in a cell at the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department for allegedly being a cult member, an allegation he denied.

Meanwhile, it was gathered that the power-drunk officer had been arrested and detained on the order of the Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of Zone 5, Mr. Abubakar Mohammed.

Meanwhile, the Edo State Government has described the incident as “cruel, inhuman and barbaric.”

The state Governor, Godwin Obaseki, in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. John Mayaki, on Thursday, said the law must be implemented decently.

“This government resolutely believes that while the law must be rigorously enforced, it must be done within the bounds of decency, civility and legality,” the governor said.