Tricycle Operators in Anambra State Face Ongoing Exploitation and Injustice
Tricycle operators in Anambra State, represented by the Anambra Keke Drivers Forum, have raised serious concerns about the persistent exploitation they face from both state and non-state actors. These operators are reportedly subjected to multiple taxation, extortion, harassment, and intimidation, which has significantly worsened their already difficult economic conditions.
The forum’s chairman, Ifeanyi Okafor, highlighted these issues during a press briefing in Awka on Tuesday. He pointed out that despite the creation of the Anambra State Anti-Touting Agency (SASA) to tackle the problem of illegal revenue collectors, such activities continue unabated. Touts operate freely at parks, loading points, and along major roads, imposing heavy financial burdens on tricycle operators.
Okafor alleged that touts collect between N400 and N1,000 daily from operators, in addition to official fees. He noted that this practice contradicts earlier assurances made by Governor Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, who had promised that operators would not be required to make any additional payments after paying their statutory taxes.
He cited several instances of extortion across the state, including:
- At Amawbia Express Park, touts collect N300 per loading and an additional N200 as a booking fee.
- At Ifitedunu in Dunukofia Local Government Area, operators are compelled to pay a daily N200 welfare levy and another N200 charge for unknown purposes.
- At Ichida, Awka, touts accompanied by heavily built men, collect N1,000 daily from every tricycle operator without any legal justification.
- At Kwata Park, operators pay N400 daily to touts, while at Eze Uzu Agu, Awka, tricycle riders are forced to pay N300 daily along the road in addition to the approved loading fee.
Okafor expressed frustration that when operators report these activities to the Anti-Touting Agency, no meaningful action is taken. This lack of response has led many to suspect that some members of the Anti-Touting Squad may be complicit with the touts.
Persistent Harassment and Financial Burden
The chairman also criticized the state government for continuously introducing new policies and financial obligations for tricycle operators. According to him, these policies include mandatory requirements such as security jackets, smart rider’s permits, security profiling, and other forms of documentation, all of which add to the operators’ financial burden.
He argued that each of these requirements comes with additional costs, further straining the operators’ already limited resources. “The government appears to have forgotten that tricycle transportation was introduced as a poverty alleviation initiative aimed at providing employment opportunities,” he said.
Okafor emphasized that no one chooses to ride tricycles out of commission or by choice. Rather, it is a necessity driven by economic hardship. “No one takes up tricycle riding on commission or by choice, but rather out of necessity to survive the prevailing economic hardship, instead of remaining unemployed or becoming a burden to society.”
Criticism of New Security Policies
The forum also criticized the Anambra State House of Assembly for approving a law requiring all commercial motorcycle (Okada), tricycle (Keke), and bus operators to wear security identification jackets. While the lawmakers claimed the policy was intended to improve security and passenger confidence, Okafor argued that it imposed an unnecessary financial burden on operators.
He questioned why additional security documentation was needed, given that operators had already undergone government profiling before being issued their T-Codes and registered for tax payments. “We are paying through our sweat, yet government continues to introduce one policy after another that keeps impoverishing us,” he said.
Calls for Change and Independence
Okafor appealed to Governor Soludo to allow tricycle operators to establish an independent union made up exclusively of registered Keke riders. According to him, such a union would help monitor members, improve discipline within the sector, and strengthen security across the state.
Despite the governor’s promises to protect commercial transport operators, Okafor stressed that these promises have not been fulfilled. “Keke riding is not a job anyone willingly chooses; it is a means of survival in this harsh economy.”
