Gov. Umahi Orders Soldiers To Flog Civil Servants over Alleged Lateness To Work

Gov. Umahi Orders Soldiers To Flog Civil Servants over Alleged Lateness To Work

Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi State on Tuesday ordered soldiers to flog civil servants who arrived late for work.

From a video clip shared on Twitter by Chidi Odinkalu, @ChidiOdinkalu, the governor was on a project inspection in Abakaliki, the state capital when his convoy stopped at the Government House Gate. He then ordered soldiers to stop civil servants who had arrived late and flog them while he watched with relish.

In a video by activist Chidi Odinkalu, Mr Umahi was seen handing sticks to the soldiers and ordering them to beat up the civil servants in Abakaliki.

“So, today in Ebonyi, @GovDaveUmahi went for a project inspection & then instructed the soldiers to flog – yes flog! – civil servants who arrived late. Not done, Dave Umahi supervised the flogging. Tomorrow, he’ll be rewarded with a seat in @NGRSenate,” tweeted Mr Odinkalu Tuesday evening.

Mr Umahi oversaw the beating while wearing a white Polo, hat, and mask. He most likely kicked several of the workers, who had been told to lie down on the road, as evidenced by the movement of his lower limb restricted by the road barrier.

His hand coordination suggested that he was directing the soldiers to hit specific parts of the public servants’ bodies.

The video has stirred the collective outrage of citizens who likened Mr Umahi to the ferocious late Ugandan military dictator Idi Amin.

The governor did not immediately return requests seeking comments on the matter.