BREAKING!! Protest Looms in Enugu as MOT Officials Impound Students Operational Vehicle for Allegedly Crossing an "Imaginary Line" While Waiting at Traffic Light

 

Pandemonium broke out in Enugu on Saturday, January 31, 2026, following a confrontation between students under the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) and officials of the Enugu State Ministry of Transport (MOT) over the impounding of the NANS operational vehicle under what students described as a provocative and extortion-driven claim. According to reports, the students’ vehicle was seized while waiting at a traffic light on the allegation that one of its tyres crossed an “imaginary line,” an accusation that instantly sparked outrage.

Eyewitnesses said the vehicle, with students still inside, was forcefully taken to the MOT office at the Enugu South Local Government Secretariat, where officials allegedly insisted that the students must pay a huge sum of money before the vehicle could be released. The students reportedly protested the action, describing it as unlawful and exploitative, but their pleas were ignored.

The situation worsened when student leaders moved to the Secretariat in a bid to peacefully resolve the matter through dialogue. Instead of de-escalating the tension, MOT officials allegedly refused to release the impounded vehicle and proceeded to seize all other cars brought by the students for the meeting, insisting that every vehicle would be impounded. This action, witnesses said, inflamed tempers and plunged the Secretariat into chaos.

A heated argument soon degenerated into violence after one of the MOT officials allegedly slapped a student leader for raising his voice. The confrontation escalated into a physical clash between officials and students, resulting in the loss of several mobile phones and personal gadgets belonging to the students. One of the student leaders was allegedly assaulted, his clothes violently torn, and his phone reportedly stolen in what students described as a deliberate act of humiliation and intimidation.

According to reports, the students vehicles were tolled to the Enugu State Ministry of Transport State Secretariat near WAEC. 

An eyewitness recounted that what was meant to be a peaceful engagement turned into a scene of violence and degradation, as operatives allegedly acting on instructions from the Enugu South Local Government leadership brutalized student leaders and obstructed them from freely accessing the public Secretariat to carry out their lawful duties. The eyewitness described the conduct of the operatives as part of a broader pattern of illegal extortion, harassment, and intimidation against motorists and students in Enugu State.

Reacting to the incident, Nigerian students in Enugu State condemned the attack as a direct assault on student leadership and the fundamental rights of young citizens, warning that the incident represents a dangerous escalation of impunity by authorities. An eyewitness revealed that students are mobilizing for a peaceful but decisive mass protest, declaring their readiness to occupy and shut down strategic places until justice is served.

The students leaders interviewed are demanding an immediate and unconditional end to what they described as the illegal extortion, harassment, and brutalization of motorists and students by MOT operatives in Enugu South Local Government Area and across the state. That; the National Association of Nigerian Students and the assaulted student leaders, must get justice as the identification and prosecution of the specific MOT officials involved in the alleged assault and illegal actions must follow.