Keke operators brought traffic to a standstill in Warri on Wednesday morning. They marched to the Delta State Board of Internal Revenue demanding action over alleged police brutality.
One lane of the airport highway remained blocked as angry riders chanted solidarity songs. Placards dotted the crowd with urgent messages scrawled across them.
"License Office, tell us why our plate numbers are not registered in your system," one sign read. Another demanded: "Police leave Keke riders alone."
According to the protesters, officers in Warri have turned extortion into a daily routine. They claimed police demand N10,000 from each rider—every single day.
An operator from the Eyekpimi family of Okere-Urhobo spoke to reporters at the scene. He said the harassment has become unbearable for tricycle riders trying to earn a living.
Eyekpimi challenged the police strategy directly. "If they want illegal plate makers, arrest them at the licensing office," he said.
He noted Governor Sheriff Oborevwori might not know what's happening on Warri streets. "Governor, the police in Warri are harassing us," Eyekpimi called out publicly.
He listed the problematic divisions by name: Area Command, Ekpan, and "B" Division. All, he said, were involved in the extortion scheme.
Eyekpimi stressed that the licensing office already registered their plates. "Do we have machines to print illegal numbers ourselves?" he asked, frustrated.
Another rider, Jeffery Awhe Akioja, shared similar complaints with our team. He detailed the endless demands police have placed on operators.
First came basket and waste bin regulations. Then rules about paint colors followed.
Akioja explained the financial burden riders face daily. Most tricycles cost between 8 and 9 million naira on hire purchase arrangements.
"We're managing because there's no other work in the state," he told reporters. The N10,000 daily extortion cuts deep into already thin margins.
According to Akioja, confiscation is certain if riders can't produce cash immediately. Police station arrests follow for those without the money.
He questioned the logic of the enforcement. "The State Government registers our plates, not us," Akioja noted with evident frustration.
"B" Division has been particularly aggressive, Akioja alleged. Checkpoints at Mopolo base, Ogunu, and Enerhen make routes unpredictable.
"Enough is enough," Akioja declared, summing up rider sentiment. Wednesday's march represented their breaking point.
Wisdom Omoteh shared his personal experience with police harassment. Officers from Enerhen Division stopped and searched him thoroughly.
His documents were completely in order. Yet officers claimed his plate number paperwork was missing.
Riders warned that unresolved issues could spark larger confrontations. Government agencies need to act fast, they said.
