Commercial activities and the movement of commuters in parts of Uvwie Local Government Area of Delta State were halted on Wednesday by commercial tricyclists protesting alleged extortion by street urchins, commonly known as Agberos.
The peaceful protesters further claimed the sale of fake tickets and insisted on a compulsory purchase of these tickets from the touts.
The protesters impeded smooth vehicular traffic as they blocked the Airport junction and the Effurun roundabout in Effurun, Uvwie Local Government Area of the state.
They pledged not to relent until Governor Sheriff Oborevwori and other relevant agencies address the actions of the hoodlums who purportedly asserted they were working for the state government.
Armed with placards bearing inscriptions such as “We say No to fake tickets,” the protesters, numbering in the hundreds, chanted solidarity songs, declaring, “We no go gree.”
Addressing journalists during the protest, one of the tricycle operators, simply identified as Capable, stated that the touts had been forcefully extorting money from them under the guise of selling fake tickets.
He mentioned that this was happening despite Governor Oborevwori not approving the sale of tickets. Capable added that the protest was triggered by an incident on Monday when the touts assaulted and injured one of their members.
Another tricycle operator, Saturday Dele, supported the claims of his colleague amid tight security provided for the protesters. He highlighted that the ticket, dated 2024, was being forcibly sold to them at the rate of ₦300.00.
He cautioned that anyone caught selling these fake tickets to their members would face consequences and appealed to Governor Oborevwori to intervene in the matter before it escalates.
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