—–says they extort road users.
By Ese Okoro
The chairman, committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR) Delta State Chapter Comrade Elder (Chief) A. P. Edariese, in a chat with newsmen in his residence at Owhase Town, Udu, Delta State have passionately called the Sheriff Francis Oborevwori’s led Delta State Government to as a matter of urgency, withdraw all touts and thugs including Vehicle Inspection Officer (VIO) of the Vehicle Inspection Unit masquerading as “task force” officers for illegal collection of Revenue for both the State and Local Governments from all roads in the State.
He made the call during a chat with Our Correspondent in Udu, Delta State.
He said the touts are allegedly using the name of the Delta State Government to carry out the extortions on motorists plying roads in the State.
According to the septuagenarian, the touts impounds all types of Vehicles including Tricycles owned by law-abiding Citizens of Nigeria resident in the State and those from other States plying the roads.
He added that they extorts heavy sums of monies from them to enrich themselves and their Masters in the office thereby making life unbearable to their victims
Chief Edariese said the touts subjects their victims who includes Commercial Tricycle Operators and Car Owners to alot of pains and untold hardship in addition to the traumatic experience they are exposed to as a result of the Fuel Subsidy removal imposed on the Citizenry recently by the Bola Ahmed Tinubu led Federal Government.
He said that most of the Tricycle Riders being harassed and extorted are on balance and take arrangements with the real owners of the Tricycle they are riding such that at the end they fail to balance the owners which in turn, makes them to loose the Tricycles .
Two particular incidents played out in Udu Local Government Area of Delta State on Monday, 24th July, 2023, when Comrade Elder Chief A. P. Edariese as State Chairman, CDHR, Delta State Chapter, led a Team of members of his Executive Committee to demand for the release of the vehicle of one of them, Comrade Omavuaye Amrevuawho, which was unlawfully impounded by members of the Udu Taskforce Unit on Sunday, 23rd July, 2023 on the excuse that he was unable to produce the License upon demand as same was not readily available with him as at the time of the demand and as such, the officers imposed a fine of #20,000.00 on him to be paid before he can go home with the Car.
They did not stop there, they went on to deflate the Tyres of the Vehicle and forced him to leave it at the Udu garage with all the risks of possible theft and vandalization .
When Comrade Elder Chief A. P. Edariese and his Team got there, Comrade Omavuaye Amrevuawho who is the owner of the impounded Car produces the Driver’s License to the leader of the Task force Unit in Udu so that he can retrieve his car ,the Officer refused to allow him collect the Car insisting that as long as he could not produce the Driver’s License upon demand, that he had to pay a fine of #20,000.00 already imposed on him before he can get the Car back
The above scenario led to a hot argument which forced Comrade Edariese and his Team to leave the Car at the Tout’s office.
It took the intervention of a Legal Practitioner consulted by the respected Chief to get the Car from those holding it illegally.
In the course of treating the issues involving the Vehicle of Comrade Omavuaye Amrevuawho with the Taskforce Udu Unit Chairman, a Lady came into the office with a complaints of her Car being impounded by some of the Taskforce officers who were operating on the road as field officers.
The lady stated that she was accosted by members of the illegal Taskforce with a demand for her Vehicle particulars which she readily produced to them and upon receiving the document , the officials claimed that one of the important documents was not available but the lady insisted that all the necessary particulars were available.
The lady then protested to the office to place her complaint before their boss who quickly intervened and then found out that the lady’s particulars were all intact and handed over same to the lady.
He then ordered the immediate release of the Vehicle to the Lady.
