Multiple taxes, daily extortion threatening us, say Anambra keke drivers 

The tricycle operators under the auspices of the Anambra Keke Drivers Forum (AKDF) have made fresh appeal to Governor Charles Soludo to help address the multiple taxation, touts extortion and intimidation challenges against them across the state.

The operators decried the governor’s earlier assurance that they would not make any additional payments after paying their statutory taxes.

We are still being compelled to pay numerous levies imposed by both government agencies and non-state actors.

Ifeanyi Okafor, Chairman of the association appealed to the Governor to rescue them from what he described as persistent harassment, intimidation, and extortion by both state and non-state actors.

According to him, despite the establishment of the state’s Anti-Touting Agency to curb the activities of illegal revenue collectors, the touts continue to operate freely at parks, loading points, and along major roads across the state.

He alleged that the touts collect between ₦400 and ₦1,000 daily from tricycle operators in addition to official loading fees.

At Amawbia Express Park, he said touts collect ₦300 per loading and an additional ₦200 as booking fee.

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At Ifitedunu in Dunukofia Local Government Area, he alleged that operators are compelled to pay a daily ₦200 welfare levy and another ₦200 charge whose purpose is unknown.

At Ichida, Awka, he claimed that touts, accompanied by heavily built men, collect ₦1,000 daily from every tricycle operator without any legal justification.

Similarly, at Kwata Park, operators allegedly pay ₦400 daily to touts, while at Eze Uzu Agu, Awka, tricycle riders are reportedly forced to pay ₦300 daily along the road in addition to the approved loading fee.

Okafor expressed regret that whenever the operators report the activities to the Anti-Touting Agency, no meaningful action is taken to stop the extortion, leaving the drivers to fend for themselves.

According to him, many operators are suspect that some members of the Anambra State Anti-Touting Squad (SASA) have compromised and are allegedly working in collaboration with the touts.

He further alleged that tricycle operators can no longer operate freely in Ifite-Awka because of persistent harassment, intimidation, and extortion by louts despite Soludo’s earlier promise to protect commercial transport operators throughout the state.

Okafor also accused the state government of continually introducing new policies and financial obligations for tricycle operators, thereby increasing the economic burden.

He said the state government had introduced several compulsory requirements, including: Security Jacket, Smart Rider’s Permit; Security Profiling, Security Colour Code, Security Enrolment, T-Code, U-Code, H-Code, and other related security documentation.

He also criticized the State House of Assembly for approving a law making it compulsory for all commercial motorcycle (Okada), tricycle (Keke), and bus operators in the state to wear security identification jackets.