Enugu tricycle riders protested on Friday, 14th February, alleging daily extortion, harassment, and corruption by the state chairman of the Amalgamated Tricycle Riders Union, Kingsley Edeh, and the Commissioner of Transportation, Dr Obi Ozor.
The riders claim the Ministry of Transportation, working with Edeh, has increased their daily levy to ₦750, despite the Enugu State government announcing a rate of ₦550. They say they are forced to pay ₦200 daily, in addition to other fees.
Gathered around Edinburgh in Enugu North Local Government Area, the protesters urged Governor Peter Mbah to intervene.
A rider named Anike Calistus described daily harassment and extortion by the Ministry of Transport’s task force, allegedly in collaboration with Edeh. “They only care about their gain, not our welfare,” Calistus stated. Another protester, Stanley, claimed a separate group from the Ministry of Transport forces them to pay ₦1000. Amidst the protest, other groups called for clarification on the levies and rules for tricycle riders.
The protesters demanded the removal of both Edeh and Ozor due to the corruption allegations. They appealed to the state government for transparency in levy collection and for their grievances to be addressed.
According to SaharaReporters, the Industrial Court previously barred the Riders Transport Union from collecting dues in Enugu State due to irregularities.
The protesters are calling for concrete action from the state government to address the alleged corruption and extortion. As of this report, the Enugu State government has not yet responded to the allegations.
