Posted by In Udu Local Government Area of Delta State, hundreds of irate commercial tricycle drivers protested against alleged extortion by touts on Saturday.
With signs in hand, the tricycle drivers staged a demonstration at Jigbale Market and blocked the entrance to the Orhunwhorhun Community.
They claimed that the Sheriff Oborevwori, the Chairman of the Udu Council, and the Governor of Delta State had imposed exorbitant charges on them.
The protest, according to one of the commercial tricycle drivers who spoke with our correspondent, Anthony Igbebe, is a warning to the Delta State Government to address the problems brought up.
He stated that if this is not done by Monday, July 17, they will block the Udu major bridge and prevent all entry to the area.
Governor Sheriff Oborevwori will arrive here by Monday, when 10,000 workers would be impacted.
Igbebe also urged the state governor to widen the route so that motorcycle and other road users, as well as commercial tricycle operators, could park extremely securely and prevent extortion.
Another tricycle driver, Azubuike Alu, claimed that the union could no longer tolerate touts harassing passengers and that the Udu Council Chairman and Governor had treated them unfairly by allegedly extorting levies.
John, a different commercial tricycle operator, claimed that everyone who participated in the demonstration did so because they had learned that the head of the Council intended to forbid their operations in the region.
However, Peter Edariese, the chairman of the CDHR’s Delta State section, was on site to diffuse the situation in order to prevent looters from destroying any property.
Edariese urged the demonstrators to observe the law and refrain from damaging nearby properties as he spoke to them.
Edariese cautioned, “don’t be disorderly and destructive,” while pointing out that they had the ability to demonstrate.