Thursday, June 18, 2026 - Commercial tricycle operators, on Wednesday, marched to the head office of the Delta State Board of Internal Revenue, DBIR, in protest of alleged Police harassment, extortion and illegal arrest.
In defiance, the protesters blocked one lane of the major
highway to the airport, chanting solidarity songs.
The protesters bore placards demanding answers over their
plight, “License Office, tell us why our plate numbers are not registered in
your system. Police are harassing us”, “Government provide us with jobs please.
Police leave Keke riders alone” and “License Office, what happened to our plate
numbers,” amongst others.
The protesters alleged that the police in Warri and environs
have been troubling them with illegal arrest and extortion of ten thousand,
N10,000, daily.
They warned that if the matter is not handled amicably by
the relevant government agencies, it could snowball into a major crisis.
One of the commercial tricycle operators who claimed to be
from the Eyekpimi family of Okere-Urhobo community said if the Police are
looking for “illegal officers,” they should go and arrest those working at
DBIR’s office.
He said they should not come to the road and illegally
arrest Keke riders who are only fending for themselves and their
families.
He noted that the Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori,
may not be aware of the development in Warri, drawing his attention to the
matter.
” Governor, the police in Warri are harassing us. Area
Command, Ekpan,”B” Division and all of them.”
Eyekpimi said our number plates have been registered by the
licensing office. “Do we have machines to print illegal plate numbers? If
Police are looking for illegal officers wey dey do number plates, they should
go and arrest them in licensing office. Nor be road them go come arrest us.
“We are out to put an end to illegal arrest and daily
extortion of ten thousand(N10,000) by the Policemen in Warri and
environs.
Another tricycle operator, Jeffery Awhe Akioja, who raised
the same concerns, said “the Police are troubling us, there are other illegal
illegal development fees that we pay on the road daily.
Noting recent events, he said, “They came with basket, waste
bin, we conquered that one. They came tapouline and that we should not use
black to paint our Keke, we conquered that one.
“As we managed to balance the Keke we carried on hire
purchase for between 8-9million naira. We are still managing it because there’s
no job in the Country and State.”
According to Akioja, “If they hold your Keke, you will pay
N10,000. If you don’t have it, they arrest you to the Police station whereas it
is the State Government that registers plate numbers for us and not we
ourselves.
“Today, we decided to protest to licensing office because of
Police harassment, illegal arrest and extortion. “B” Division don’t want to
allow us rest. Mopolo base, Ogunu, Enerhen, all of them. Enough is
enough.
Another protester, Wisdom Omoteh, narrating his ordeal in
the hands of Police, Omoteh said,”Police from Enerhen Division held me, they
checked my particulars and it was correct, they said paper nor dey for number
plate.”
He also said, “if they’re looking for who committed offence,
it is not we riders that committed the offence. They should go and arrest them
at the licensing office.
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