Okada riders to embark on ‘mother of all protests’ over extortion by policemen

Members of the Amalgamated Commercial Motorcycle Owners and Riders Association of Nigeria (ACOMORAN), Isashi-Iba New Site chapter, Lagos State, have threatened to stage a mass protest against what they alleged is massive extortion by policemen from the Isashi Division, in the Lagos command. The group lambasted policemen attached to the division for the alleged extortion […]

Members of the Amalgamated Commercial Motorcycle Owners and Riders Association of Nigeria (ACOMORAN), Isashi-Iba New Site chapter, Lagos State, have threatened to stage a mass protest against what they alleged is massive extortion by policemen from the Isashi Division, in the Lagos command.

The group lambasted policemen attached to the division for the alleged extortion of commercial motorcycle operators, saying the policemen were always compelling ACOMORAN members operating in the area to part with money even when the okada riders had not violated any traffic law or committed any crime.

The group told our correspondent that policemen in the area “operate three shifts like factory workers”, collecting N200 from each motorcyclist at a shift before the rider would be allowed to work in peace.

 The Isashi ACOMORAN chapter, at the end of its caucus meeting held in the area last Sunday, alleged that “the police have turned motorcycle riders into their ATMs” and promised to embark on a protest to attract the sympathy of Nigerians if the police did not desist from extorting money from its members.

 The publicity secretary of the association, Theophilus Azuya, disclosed that its members had unanimously agreed to embark on what he called the “mother of all protests” to draw the attention of members of the public to their plight.

 Azuya fumed that policemen were always “raiding” ACOMORAN members and “forcefully collecting N200 from each rider in the morning, N200 in the afternoon and another N200 at about 7pm.”

 He said, “This amount does not include the N500 they collect from each person before he could be allowed to operate beyond 9pm. The most annoying aspect of it all is that from Iyana-School to Iyana-Sashi, they mount about four check points for a distance that is less than 10 minutes ride.

 “The first set of policemen will mount their point after Araromi bus stop, while the second set will position themselves in front of the station. The third set will mount their point before Regional Hotel, while the last one will mount theirs before the Iyana-Isashi bus stop.”

 The association’s spokesman added that the okada riders had complained at different security meetings with the Isashi divisional police officer about the illegal tolls his men were extorting from motorcycle operators, but to no avail. 

A commercial motorcycle rider, who identified himself as Okolie Adam, said that what he found most annoying was that after his colleagues had paid N200 three times, the same policemen would still impound the motorcycles of ACOMORAN members who failed to pay up the mandatory N500 to be allowed to operate beyond 9pm.

 Adam said, “Riders are made to pay the sum of N2000 weekly to the policemen to be allowed to operate freely in the area. Your name is automatically registered the moment you pay your N2000. Those who fail to pay the N2000 are not allowed to work at night.

 “I once got my bike impounded when I took a neighbour who was sick to the hospital. The mere fact that I did not pay was a crime. All pleas I made fell on deaf ears. In fact, the Crime Officer told me that I should forget about the motorcycle because he was going to add it to those to be sent to Alausa.

 “He asked me to pay a N10,000 fine before he would hand over the motorcycle back to me. I pleaded with them that I had only N5000 on me but they refused. I collected my motorcycles three days later after I was able to raise the said sum.”

 He further said that policemen in the area were always quick to label riders as criminals, but that “the moment money exchanges hand, that same rider becomes innocent.”

 Adam declared, “We are prepared to die for this cause because members and their families are dying of starvation. They cannot feed their wives and children, send the children to school and pay hospital and electricity bills, among others, and yet we still pay the police.”

 He reminded that a Lagos State government traffic law mandates conductors of yellow colour commercial buses operating in the state to wear uniform, but wondered how many of such conductors the police had arrested for flouting the law.

 In the same vein, Adam said, the same law bans transport unions enforcers from forcefully seizing any personal property of commercial bus drivers and parts from their buses, but that while policemen allow the enforcers free rein in their “violent activities”, they were always harassing and extorting money from okada riders.

 An ACOMORAN executive member, Toba Ayeni, alleging that “the policemen collect money from riders brazenly and shamelessly”, warned policemen involved in the alleged extortion and intimidation of the commercial motorcycle operators plying the routes allowed by the laws of the state to desist from it, “or they would be made to face the wrath of riders if and when pushed to the wall.”

 Ayeni said he was ready to produce evidence showing that policemen were extorting money unnecessarily from the motorcycle operators, adding that some policemen have resorted to the use of thugs known as area boys in the collection of tolls from the commercial motorcycle operators.

 The Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Edgal Imohimi, had at different town hall meetings, threatened to dismiss any policeman arrested in the state for extortion. Our correspondent learnt that over 10 policemen in the state are currently facing various disciplinary actions for misconduct pertaining to extortion.

When contacted on the issue, the Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Olarinde Famous-Cole, said he was not aware of the action of the particular policemen at Isashi, but that the Commissioner of Police has directed the X-Squad to go after corrupt policemen.