Commercial tricycle operators in Onitsha and Ogbaru Local Government Areas of Anambra State have vowed to work closely with the police and other security agencies to clamp down on criminals using tricycles for one-chance robberies.
Operating under the umbrella of the Anambra Keke Drivers Forum (AKDF), the operators said they were determined to support ongoing efforts to rid the state of crime and criminality.
The group also commended the Anambra State Commissioner of Police, Ikioye Orutugu, and Governor Chukwuma Soludo for what they described as significant improvements in security across Onitsha, Ogbaru and surrounding communities.
Speaking during a press briefing at the group’s office along Obodo-Ukwu Road, the Coordinator of AKDF in Onitsha and Ogbaru, Ugochukwu Adiele, praised the police commissioner for ordering the removal of officers allegedly extorting tricycle operators at checkpoints.
Flanked by the group’s secretary, Diribe Achuko, and other members, Adiele said the reduction in checkpoints had eased the financial burden on operators and urged the commissioner to sustain the directive.
He also called on other security agencies to follow suit by ensuring their personnel stop harassing and extorting tricycle drivers.
“Before now, our daily earnings were severely affected by numerous checkpoints where operators were forced to part with money. Many drivers returned home with little or nothing after a day’s work because of the constant extortion,” he said.
“Since the commissioner ordered the removal of those checkpoints, things have improved considerably. We commend him for this bold step and encourage him to continue the good work.”
Adiele pledged the forum’s support in tackling crimes involving tricycle operators, particularly one-chance robberies and other criminal activities carried out under the guise of commercial transportation.
“We are ready to partner with the police to identify and expose criminal elements among tricycle operators. Anyone using a tricycle to rob or dispossess innocent residents of their belongings will be tracked down and handed over to security agencies,” he said.
He added that the forum was committed to sanitising the sector and ensuring that criminal elements no longer tarnish the image of genuine operators.
The group also expressed appreciation to other security personnel contributing to peace and order in the state, including the Managing Director of the Anambra State Anti-Touting Agency, Monday Nwekoye.
AKDF further urged security agencies to treat information provided by tricycle operators with confidentiality to encourage intelligence sharing and effective crime-fighting.
The operators also appealed to Governor Soludo to address the proliferation of illegal motor parks across Onitsha and Ogbaru, alleging that the parks have become centres of extortion.
According to the group, operators are compelled to pay levies of N1,000 or more daily at parks they believe are not officially approved by the government.
They claimed that despite complying with government-approved taxes and levies, they continue to face multiple charges imposed by park operators and touts at various locations.
The forum identified areas such as Savoy Junction, Ezeiweka Road, Nkpor Junction, Old and New Market roads, Ede Road and Enamel Junction as locations where the alleged illegal parks operate.
The operators urged the state government to dismantle the illegal parks, arrest those involved in extortion and investigate allegations that some government agency officials are aiding their activities.
“We appeal to the government to restore sanity by tackling the activities of these touts and anyone enabling them. This will go a long way in easing the burden on tricycle operators and motorists alike,” the group said.