Seven injured as anti-tout operatives, tricyclists clash in Anambra

Anambra State Anti-Touts Squad has allegedly brutalised seven tricycle drivers and destroyed 11 vehicles in Awka, the State capital.

Out of the seven brutalised drivers, three are still in the hospitals receiving treatments, Tribune gathered.

It was gathered that the Anti-touts squad stormed Unizik keke loading pit and brutalised seven members of Anambra keke drivers forum(AKDF) .

One of the drivers at the Unizik pit by Okpuno – Obyokoye Mr Enerst Iwunor who spoke to our correspondent, said the Anti Touts squad came in a commando way and started beating and shooting randomly.

According to him, the squad came and arrested some of their members, collecting money from drivers.

He said that the park in question is a government-approved private park charging service fee to keke operators.

“When they came inside the park,we told them that we are Keke drivers not touts. They said they came with three Keke drivers who claimed they are touts in our pit collecting money. We told them no,they are not touts but Keke drivers. They descended on us and started beating everybody at the park. They were shooting guns like if they were confronting armed robbers. They also used knife to attacked us. In the process of attacking us they broke 11 windscreen of tricycles, injured more than eight drivers and took some of our members to their office in onitsha. Four of the brutalized persons are still in the hospital now,” he said.

He stated that some of the arrested members were released by the anti-touts squad after paying between N13000 ,N4000 and N3000 from the victims.

He called on the government to urgently call the squad to order to avoid them harassing Keke drivers in the state.

“We are calling on the governor Prof. Charles Soludo to do something before the Anti Touts squad kill Keke drivers in Anambra.

“We are law abiding citizen, paying our taxes as when due. These people are representing the government but what they did yesterday was horrible and unfortunate,” he said.

According to him, “the anti-touts squad should be fighting touts in those areas where they are operating and leave them alone.
He stated that they are going to make sure that they pay for the damaged windscreens”.

One of the victims, who was beaten mercilessly, Mr Obodo Emmanuel said he was just inside the park when suddenly they stormed on them and started beating everybody and broke his head in the process.

He said they are operating in a private park approved by the government and they usually collect N200 from each Keke everyday.

According to him, those brutalised are not touts but Keke drivers, adding that the squad knew that.

Reacting, the coordinator of Anambra State Anti Touts squad Mr Salomon Chukwuebuka said they were on normal patrol and ran into some touts extorting money from motorists and they ran into the park.

According to him, when they ran into the park, they followed them and started attacking us , saying they were not touts.

”We were not looking for the Keke drivers, rather touts whom we met at the place collecting money from them. When we reached the place, they stopped us because we came with Keke and two of the touts demanded for money and we arrested one and the second person ran into the park and we followed him into the park, they started attacking us with bottles.

“It was their attack that caused me calling for reinforcement. I led the operation, they attacked us with bottles and hit one of my men with stick and he falled down. What do they want, the same people they are complianing about extorting money from them are the same people some of them are protecting. I don’t know what they want,” he said.

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