A distraught woman has threatened to institute a N100 million suit against the commissioner. Mrs Ejemai said she was pained by the commissioner’s failure to apologise to her after the assault.
Trader, Mrs Oghosa Ejemai, has said she lost a seven-week pregnancy after she was allegedly assaulted by the Edo State Commissioner for Transport, Isimeme Iriogbe.
The trader said she was beaten up for resisting the “boys”.
She said: “I started bleeding on the third day and when I went to hospital, the doctor confirmed that I lost my seven-week pregnancy.
“I was their target that day as it was only my shop that was looted. I was not selling on the road. The commissioner held me by my jeans and started hitting me. He tried to push me in the vehicle but my neighbours came to my rescue.
“After that day, I reported at the police station. When I went to collect my goods, I could only see five per cent of what they had carted away.”
Addressing reporters yesterday in Benin, the state capital, Mrs Ejemai said she was assaulted on February 2 when the commissioner led some “boys” to pack her wares at her shop on Mission Road in Benin.
The state’s Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has offered to pay the legal fees for Mrs Ejemai’s N100 million suit.
But Iriogbe said he was wanted to clear traders from the walkways when Mrs. Oghosa allegedly assaulted a traffic official in his team.
The party’s Publicity Secretary Chris Nehikhare said the gesture was meant to protect Edo residents from further harassment.
He said: “Let us meet in court. Her goods were blocking the walkway. We did not enter her shop. I didn’t know her until that day. We are waiting for her in court.”