They also protested what they described as “illegal collection of levies by Local Government Authorities and non-provision of Motor Parks for their operations” which has become so helpful to the masses.
The Keke napep riders who started their protests in the early hours of Monday told newsmen that they were fed up with the incessant demands made by the men of the Nigerian police especially on the baga road axis which started the crisis this morning.
One of them who called himself Shaibu told the Nigerian tribune that “they have been doing this to us for a long time and we tried to tolerate them. This morning, they started blocking our members along Baga road and God knows how many 2000 naira they collected forcefully from them.
“We had no option but to make the police high command to know the atrocities committed by their men here who daily harass us on the way. Local government will charge theirs, our union will take theirs and the police, it’s becoming too many my brother. We are tired which is why we had to block the MTD round about to make our points.”
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The ensuring fracas was quietly sorted out by a representative of police management Deputy Commissioner of Police incharge of Operations DCP Maiyaki Baba who gave them some soothing words
Commissioner of Justice Kaka Shehu who represented the Governor Kashim Shettima was also at hand to calm the riders who agreed to return to their tricycles and drove off making the route smooth by midday.
As at the time of writing this report, the situation had been brought under control as no life was lost as confirmed by police spokesman Edet Okon.
According to DSP Okon, Commissioner of Police Borno State, CP Damian Chukwu urged members of the public “to be law-abiding by always endeavouring to report their grievances to the police or other appropriate government agencies.”
He also urges members of the public to go about their lawful activities without fear as the police will continue to work to ensure their safety.
Most Keke napep rider is desperate internally displaced people IDP’S who used to take turns to make a living for themselves from the Keke even as they wait for their council areas to be entirely free from insurgents.
Most of them live in market stalls along Baga and Bama road while many live along Kano road when it is too late to return to their residences in the IDP camps which are subject to special curfew sometimes starting from six pm.
and then