Rivers drivers protest assault by taskforce officials

Tension flared at the Obiri-Kwere Flyover on the outskirts of Port Harcourt, Rivers State, as commercial drivers staged a protest against alleged assault by taskforce officials. The drivers temporarily suspended their services and blocked the road, demanding an end to the taskforce's activities and appealing to the state government for intervention. The protest led to a significant traffic jam, stranding vehicles for approximately two hours, including those bound for the Port Harcourt International Airport.

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They seized the driver’s vehicle and dragged him out of it, and he fell down. And the driver had a major operation recently. He was seriously injured and was taken to the hospital. That is why we are protesting.

Protesting drivers recounted that a member was allegedly pushed from his moving vehicle during an attempt by taskforce officials to seize it over a ticketing dispute. The injured driver, who had recently undergone a major operation, was reportedly taken to the hospital, fueling the drivers' anger. They accused taskforce members of unprofessional conduct, harassment, and extortion, calling for the immediate disbandment of the group.

"They seized the driver’s vehicle and dragged him out of it, and he fell down. And the driver had a major operation recently. He was seriously injured and was taken to the hospital. That is why we are protesting," one driver stated. Another driver lamented the daily occurrences of attacks and extortion at the Obiri-Kwere Flyover, describing the situation as "wickedness."

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Look at my hand, they broke my hand and ran. They should leave this Obiri-Kwere for us. There is no bus stop here. They will demarcate somewhere and mark it as a boundary. If you park at the boundary, they will still come and impose charges on us. And the money they are collecting from us is not small. They collect money that you cannot even make in a week. Is it not wickedness? We don’t want these agberos (touts) anymore.

Success Temitope, Chairman of the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria, Choba-Eleme Chapel, urged for the taskforce to be reconstituted. He proposed that members should be drawn from recognized transport unions to ensure professionalism and accountability. Temitope emphasized the need to streamline the taskforce, stating, "The work belongs to the union. Let the work be left for the union, not to gather some people and say this person is the taskforce chairman. No. They should call the two gazetted unions we have in Nigeria... The two unions should come together and form a joint taskforce to stop this matter."

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The work belongs to the union. Let the work be left for the union, not to gather some people and say this person is the taskforce chairman. No. They should call the two gazetted unions we have in Nigeria. We have the National Union and we have the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria. The two unions should come together and form a joint taskforce to stop this matter.