Cautions members against commercial trips to Niuland
The Kiphire District Commercial Vehicle Union (KDCVU) has advised its members not to travel to Niuland district or undertake commercial trips to the area until further notice following an alleged incident involving extortion, assault, threats, harassment and an attempted abduction of one of its drivers.
According to a complaint submitted by the KDCVU to the Officer-in-Charge of Kiphire Police Station on September 1, the incident occurred at around 3:55 pm on August 28 near Kanash Eta Patta in the Niuland area.
The union stated in its complaint that the driver was allegedly stopped by an individual identifying himself as Atoka Sumi, Second Lieutenant, and claiming affiliation with the FGN/NNC (Non-Accord) faction. The driver was allegedly forced to pay Rs 28,000 in connection with the collection of annual tax/challans relating to two challans, namely NNC (Non-Accord) and NNCPB (Z Royim).
The complaint stated that out of the amount, Rs 3,500 was allegedly transferred to mobile number 9863327212, while Rs 4,500 was paid in cash. The union’s complaint spells out the Rs 28,000 figure as “Rupees Eight Thousand only” and the stated breakdown totals Rs 8,000.
The driver further alleged that he was assaulted and threatened with a knife and a stick, while his mobile phone was damaged when he attempted to contact the vehicle owner for assistance. The union described the incident as involving alleged extortion, assault, criminal intimidation, harassment and attempted abduction.
The KDCVU requested Kiphire Police Station to register a Zero FIR, take immediate action for the safety and protection of the victim and transfer the case to the police station having proper jurisdiction as per law.
In a separate advisory, the union urged all members to avoid commercial trips to Niuland until further notice, citing the safety and security of its members and drivers. It called on members to “maintain unity, discipline, and caution” until further instructions.
