Police in Vihiga are on the spot after the dramatic arrest of controversial author Newton Ochieng’ Ong’ele aka Babior, known for his literary works on the former Prime Minister Raila Odinga.
Babior leaked at least two videos in which the traffic police officers forced him out of a matatu he was travelling in before handcuffing him along the Kisumu-Kakamega highway.
Irked by the arrest, the writer filmed the scene as he explained the circumstances that he claims led to his arrest. He told Hivisasa.com that the officers deleted a number of the videos from his phone that had recorded them taking bribes from matatus.
Babior was on several occasions in the news just before the 2017 General Elections when he was forced into exile, skipping the launch of his book, 'The Raila Conspiracy.' He has also written a book title 'Raila Odinga, The People's President'
"I was travelling in a matatu and when we reached Gambogi, the conductor started carrying excess passengers. I complained about but when we approached the police roadblock, I saw the officers taking a bribe from the vehicle.
"It is at this point that I decided to speak to the officers but with the conductor, they forcefully ejected me because I questioned them on why they were taking the bribe from the vehicle," Babior narrated on phone.
The officers took him to Vihiga police station, leaving the vehicle, Reg KCR 763S, to proceed with the journey. He claims that the officers locked him up briefly before one of them, who he only identifies as Faridah, declined to book him as an offender.
"She (Faridah) asked her colleagues why they had arrested me leaving the real offenders. She could not book me as an offender. It is sad to see how our police officers behave. They are the reason we have many road accidents," regretted Babior.
Here is the video showing the officers tackling him in the Friday incident. Babior was released on Friday after being briefly detained while he demanded to be taken to court.