Anambra tricycle operators plan protest over extortion

Tricycle operators in Anambra State under the aegis of Anambra Keke Drivers Forum have directed their members to mobilise for protest against continuous harassment, intimidation, exploitation, extortion and multiple checkpoints in the state.

The group lamented that the agencies extorting and intimidating them are security operatives, including the police, naval ratings, as well as operatives of Anambra State Transportation Management Agency and Anambra State Internal Revenue Service, among others.

It was gathered that the security operatives have been extorting the union members of various amounts of money through the multiple checkpoints they created on the roads, which they use in collecting various amounts of money from the Keke drivers.

The State Coordinator of AKDF, Mr Osita Obi, in a statement on Thursday, urged members of the union to mobilise for the protest to draw the attention of the state governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, to their plights.

Obi said the governor had listened to the plights of the union members in the past when he reduced the revenue windows created by the AIRS.

He said, “After listening to the complaints and cries of keke drivers, the governor brought the amount payable from N15,000 to N10,000 and further to N8,000 as a result of fuel increase. But today, Keke drivers pay up to N18,000 monthly as a result of some obnoxious revenue windows introduced by Anambra State Internal Revenue Services. The worst part of this is that these revenue windows are given to notorious and greedy businessmen, who in turn recruit touts and cultists for collections.

“Today on account of these, keke drivers are harassed, intimidated, exploited and extorted even leading to their keke being impounded for days. In the light of the above issues, we are directing that keke drivers begin the mobilisation of keke drivers for state-wide protest to draw the attention of His Excellency, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo to the matter.

“Anambra AKDF is also worried about the continued harassment, intimidation, exploitation, and extortion of keke drivers by security operatives who mounted multiple checkpoints in the state.”

He said that from Onitsha to Nnewi, Ekwulobia and Awka, the story of harassment, intimidation, exploitation and extortion are the same, adding that this has continued to deplete the daily income of the Keke operators.

According to him, these revenue touts will either impound Keke for days on account of payment not reflected on the AiRS system, which is not their fault.

He also stated that keke drivers would not be allowed to load in a government park if the drivers questioned the legality of an extra financial burden on them by way of revenue windows.

He stated that Keke drivers are at the mercy of touts, who are recruited to enforce these obnoxious revenue windows.

”The Anambra keke drivers forum demands the immediate withdrawal of these revenue windows as it is obnoxious in nature. It runs counter to His Excellency’s digital revenue policy. It also encourages and breeds touting and touts, which the governor seeks to eradicate.

“AKDF insisted that there would be a state-wide protest to draw the governor’s attention if the situation remains unchanged,” he added.

In November 2023, motorists, commuters and residents along the Onitsha-Owerri Road accused some naval ratings of using teenagers to extort money for them at the checkpoints they mounted at the Enamel axis, near the Upper Iweka area of the ever-busy federal road.

THE According correspondent on a visit to the area observed about two young boys, aged between 18 and 20 years, collecting money ranging from N200 to N500 from commercial drivers and tricycle operators before they were allowed to cross the barrier placed by the security operatives at that section of the road.