Bishop Austin Romanus has called on the Abia State Government and senior police authorities to urgently intervene following an incident in which police officers allegedly rear-ended his vehicle, impounded it, and demanded financial payments.
The incident reportedly occurred on February 6, 2026, at about 5:26 p.m., as Bishop Romanus was returning from Umuahia in his Toyota Sequoia after attending a Christian Citizenship programme themed “Faith at the Ballot.” He had attended the event at the invitation of the Special Assistant to the Abia State Governor on Religious Matters, Apostle Wiper Kenneth Chukwumezie (KC Wiper).
According to Bishop Romanus’ account, his vehicle was struck from behind by a speeding Toyota Venza conveying police officers and a suspect said to be handcuffed. An officer, identified only as a Superintendent of Police, reportedly explained that the team was traveling from Abuja to Enugu to effect an arrest and was en route to Port Harcourt to apprehend another suspect before returning to Abuja.
Despite the reported rear-end collision, Bishop Romanus alleges that officers attempted to shift responsibility onto him. He further claims that his vehicle was seized and that he was pressured to make payments, including covering towing expenses for the police vehicle and allegedly being asked to pay what was described as bail-related costs.
The police vehicle was reportedly repaired, while his own vehicle remained in police custody. When he later returned to retrieve it for repairs, he said he was questioned about settling the repair bill for the officers’ vehicle.
The Divisional Police Officer (DPO) is said to have directed that the matter be taken to court. Bishop Romanus has indicated his readiness to pursue legal redress, maintaining that he was the victim of the collision.
No serious injuries were reported from the incident. As of the time of this report, police authorities have yet to issue an official response to the allegations.
