Port Harcourt Routes Under Siege: Drivers, Residents Suffer as Touts Escalate Grip

Port Harcourt is increasingly becoming a no-go zone for law-abiding citizens and commercial drivers, as criminal elements and touts tighten their grip on the city's major routes. Residents and drivers alike are groaning under the weight of harassment, extortion, and violence perpetrated by these miscreants who openly operate at bus stops, roads, and flyovers.

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We (drivers) will operate from morning till night and go home with peanuts. We work like elephants and eat like ants. At the end of the day, we end up losing our vehicles, some of which we purchased at higher prices because of the multiple taxes on the road.

The situation has become so dire that commercial drivers lament they "work like elephants and eat like ants," a poignant description of their struggle to earn a living amidst relentless illegal charges. These charges, ranging from "security money" to "sanitation money," are imposed arbitrarily, often leading to violent confrontations for those who resist. Key flashpoints like Rumuola junction, Rumuokuta, Waterlines, Eleme junction, and Ikwerre Road are described as "death traps" and "Sambisa forests" due to the pervasive lawlessness.

In response, the Commercial Drivers Welfare Association of Rivers State has taken their grievances directly to the Government House and the State Police Command. They are calling for a fundamental shift towards an electronic, harmonized government tax system to ensure transparency and accountability, and crucially, for the deployment of special police teams to patrol the notorious flashpoints. The association's chairman, Christopher Ezeali, has warned that continued neglect could push citizens towards self-help, potentially leading to further destabilization and loss of lives.

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They (touts) will come out and ask for security money, executioner money, sanitation money, mostly at Rumuola junction. Rumuola has now become a death trap. Rumuola has become the Sambisa forest.

Civil society organizations have also raised alarms, highlighting the recent harassment of journalists by these touts. Their joint press briefing underscores the broader implications for public order and the rule of law. The call for intervention from the state governor is urgent, as the current environment is not only stifling economic activity but also fostering a climate of fear and insecurity.

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Please, our dear governor, we don’t need any compensation for our members from the government because when they push us to the wall, it might lead to a clash that might cause loss of lives.