Commuters Stranded at Onitsha as Protesting Commercial Shuttle Bus Drivers Block Niger Bridge over Extortion

By Praise Chinecherem

Commercial shuttle bus drivers in Onitsha, Anambra State on Tuesday, protested alleged incessant extortion by touts and illegal revenue agents as well as lack of motor parks in the commercial city of the state.

The protesters who blocked the ever-busy Onitsha end of the bridge, said the extortion followed government inability to provide motor parks for them.

The protest which lasted about two hours led to heavy gridlock which forced some commuters to disembark from their vehicles to trek to their destinations.

Speaking to reporters, one of the drivers, Ugwoke Onyemaeti, wondered why they would continue to suffer extortion after paying the agreed levy to government coffers.

He vowed they were prepared to continue the protest if nothing was done to stop the ugly development.

He said, “We decided to embark on the protest for Governor Chukwuma Soludo to feel the negative impact of what we are passing through in the hands of the touts and come to their rescue.

“We have been paying the agreed levy on mini buses but have no designated parks for those of us plying along the Onitsha/Asaba/Enugu expressway.

“In any bus-stop we pull up, they will rush to us and say we are not supposed to park there, and forcefully collect thousands of naira from us.

“Some of us who refuse to pay will be beaten black and blue for daring them, and that is why we protest for government to provide motor parks for us.

“We will continue the protest if nothing is done today to stop the touts and parks provided for us.”

Reacting, a local vigilante operative who preferred anonymity said he was among those sent to stop the protest but were unable to avoid clash in view of what he termed “intimidating” number of the protesters.

“They are not suppose to block the bridge because you have travellers from other parts of the country who ply to and from Onitsha. But we decided to allow them protest to avoid bloody clash,” he explained.

As at the time of filling this report, no security personnel were seen within the area even as the Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC officials that have their Onitsha unit, adjascent to the scene, could not help out for fear of being attacked by the protesting drivers.