We heard stories of Governor Willie Obiano’s travail in the hands of Upper Iweka miscreants with pity and hope it will be the last, since a victim is now the chief security custodian of the state. Unbeknownst to us he went to back to bed with the same demons he lost his belongings to.
The drive for revenue should be rational and within the ambits of the law. We are not in a military dictatorship or anarchy yet. Using touts and miscreants for revenue collection is dangerous and disturbing.
Anyone driving around Onitsha especially Upper Iweka should be wary of the criminals of Anambra State Traffic Agency (ASTA).
On descending the Upper Iweka bridge I noticed a new message on my cluster (ESP Malfunction visit workshop). The engine started losing power. I put my signal to go off the road. I was not yet clearly out of the way before an unmarked bus swerved and blocked me commando style. In spilt seconds five men are all over the vehicle some trying to force the doors open, one dragging the ignition key. I resisted, wound up, came out and locked the car. One of them said I should meet the oga seated at the back of the bus. Inside he was seated he like a lost fool adorning a sunglasses and kept fixating I should drop my keys with him, I can’t do that, I have seen car jackers in action before and they look and act better than these government contractors. One of the miscreants loosed both number plates, the other scribbled a phone number in a piece of paper and stuck between the wiper and windshield.
I called the number after some minutes and was told to come to FRSC office before the bridge. On getting to the FRSC office an officer came and pointed to the adjoining trailer park. Explaining that those crooks are independent of the FRSC. I drove into the park, a vulcaniser immediately deflated the two front tires.
Two ladies was in a makeshift office in an open corner one requested I handed over my keys I refused, the other wrote me a bill of N15,000 and N5,000 after I paid N500 to her for “form”. A man clad in traditional attire was in charge, I got talking with him and he directed them that I paid only N15,000.
As I was handed the form I took a picture the number 2 saw me and grabbed it, handed it over to the lady an gave her instructions not to give it back. And this is the same document I was supposed to go to the bank with.
I weighed my options, placed calls, got to understand that the government gives them target they must meet.
They were ruthless and hungry. I went to a nearby ATM got N15,000 paid the lady, and demanded receipts. she vehemently insisted that the government does not issue receipts. For N15,000? I paid for an outdoor signage some months back and got receipts. Capitation rates from the local government you get issued receipts. Why is this special government traffic regulators so clandestine?
I tried making a video, after some seconds a group of men gathered me led by the number 2 and insisted I deleted the videos and pictures. I obliged. Phones now have features where you can recall deleted files. The number 2 beckoned the vulcaniser to deflate the tires again. That I won’t take the vehicle till Monday.
Note, this is upper Iweka, you don’t want your property to be here past 7pm on any day. Overnight? You will have bigger loses.
I can talk streets, “Mpa kee zi way?” I engaged two of the new thugs. They mediated with the number 2. I was free to go again. But not yet, I have to pay gate fee of N1,000 and another N500 for the vulcanizer to pump the tires he deflated.
This took like 3 to 4 hours. And in this period I met more motorists in the same quagmire . Being billed N10.000 or N20,000 some as high as N30,000 for “crimes” of driving in the wrong lane or wrong parking.
They said my offence was wrong parking(Parking under the bridge). Is it parking when the driver is still inside the vehicle? If a vehicle have fault in motion don’t one have right to get it out of the way and think how to fix it.
Anambra State Government should have a written out penalty against traffic offences, and stop funding touts and encouraging hooliganism. If truly one is guilty, one should know how much you are to pay and whom you are paying it to. Or how much time you will do. If we are going to prison. How can one pay N15,000 for assumed wrong parking? No judge, No court. Just hungry government sponsored miscreants extorting innocent citizens.
Chief Obiano this is a civil society, don’t let this crazy drive for revenue ruin the work you are doing in Anambra.
This is why state police will never work, Nigeria is better off this large, the different ethnic group is checking the excess of one another. Name a black man king, and see him go agog to desolation.
Dalu nu

...this is Nigeria.

This is how greedy bastards are not only giving the state a bad name but shortchanging it in the process! When you hear of states like Anambra and Abia declaring IGR much lower than what was expected, it's these fools that are responsible!

How much of all this money they're stealing from hapless motorists is being remitted to the states coffers?

Na waa

Xander85:
This is how greedy bastards are not only giving the state a bad name but shortchanging it in the process! When you hear of states like Anambra and Abia declaring IGR much lower than what was expected, it's these fools that are responsible!

How much of all this money they're stealing from hapless motorists is being remitted to the states coffers?

My brother those elements are not only in Anambra or Abuja. They are virtually everywhere.

Xander85:
This is how greedy bastards are not only giving the state a bad name but shortchanging it in the process! When you hear of states like Anambra and Abia declaring IGR much lower than what was expected, it's these fools that are responsible!

How much of all this money they're stealing from hapless motorists is being remitted to the states coffers?

The government should work with only reputable agencies or set up one. Not tell brutal touts to collect revenue, it will always be counter productive.