A driver in Ebonyi State on Tuesday chopped off a finger of a member of the state taskforce team of the Ministry of Capital City Development in order to escape arrest.

The driver is also said to have swallowed the finger of the taskforce man, Iboko Kenneth, and escaped.

The incident occurred at Onuebonyi Junction in Abakaliki metropolis when the state’s Ministry of Capital City Development and its task force team were inspecting the state capital to ensure that there were no illegal parks within the capital city after all the commercial transport companies relocated to a new park known as Akubaraoha Central park provided for them by the state government with the state capital.

On getting to the Onuebonyi Junction, some drivers were seen loading passengers which angered the ministry and the taskforce.

One of the taskforce members, Iboko Kenneth attempted to arrest one of the defiant drivers.

But the driver grabbed one of his fingers, and bit it off. The driver reportedly swallowed the finger and escaped while his vehicle was impounded by the taskforce.

The victim, however, has been taken to the emergency unit of Alex Ekwueme Federal University Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki (AE-FUTHA) for treatment.

Reacting, the Commissioner for Capital City Development, Chief Onyekachi Nwebonyi described the incident as “terrible, unexpected and barbaric”.

By Raymond Joe & PETERS