Tricycles Operators Accuse Police of Aiding Extortion
Allegation of aiding extortion has been made against the police by owners and operators of commercial tricycles in Anambra State. This allegation is coming at heels of worsening competition between commercial motorcycles operators and owners of commercial tricycles. The worsening situation has led to accusation of extortion against policemen attached to Fegge police station Onitsha by tricycle owners. Operators of commercial tricycles on Friday accused the police of conniving with operators of motorcycles to perpetrate extortions and harassment.
Contestation over collection of levies from commercial transporters in Anambra state has led to series of crisis and often times leading to violence in Onitsha; the commercial heartbeat of Anambra state. NigerianEcho source in Onitsha quoted a spokesperson of tricycles operators as saying, “we operators of motorcycle have been extorting them forcefully with the help of the police”. The lingering unhealthy competition between commercial transporters which led to renewed protests over extortions made many operators of tricycles in Onitsha to be apprehensive of possible backlashes in Onitsha on Friday. The police could not however be contacted to shed light on the development.
