Extortion: Bus Drivers Block Onitsha Niger Bridge

Lots of vehicular movement was recently disrupted by protests.

Movement was on Tuesday disrupted by protesting mini bus drivers in Onitsha. They blocked the ever-busy Onitsha Enugu express way, to the River Niger bridge, Anambra State.

Their angered was anchored on incessant extortion by touts/illegal revenue agents and lack of Motor Parks.

The drivers who expressed their dissatisfaction over alleged extortion by both revenue agents and touts accused the Anambra State Government of not providing motor parks for them, which has resulted in the touts/illegal revenue collectors forcefully collecting money from them for pulling up in any bus-stop for loading or off loading.

One of the drivers who identified himself as Ugwoke Onyemaechi, told Vanguard that they resolved to embark on the protest for Governor Chukwuma Soludo, to feel the negative impact of what they are going through in the hands of touts, and for him to come to their rescue.

He disclosed that they have been paying the agreed levy on mini buses, but have no designated parks.

According to Onyemaechi, “How can these touts continue to extort money from us after paying the agreed levy to the State Government. In any bus-stop we pull up, they will rush to us and say we are not suppose to park there, and forcefully collect between N5,000 to N10,000 from us.

“Some of us who refuse to pay will be beaten black and blue for daring them, and that is why we decided to protest for government to provide motor parks for us since, we can’t pull up to pick or drop passengers at the bus-stop. We will continue the protest if nothing is done today to stop the touts and for parks to be provided for us.”