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| Keke NAPEP protesters at the Central Roandabout Damaturu |
The Police in Damaturu, Yobe State have described today’s
protest by tricycle operators as purely criminal and has no connotation of a
protest.
ImpactOnlineNigeria reports that Tricycle operators popularly called
Kake NAPEP, one of the most reliable public transport means in the town took to
the streets today protesting , blocking the central roubabout and burning tyres
over police brutality and illegal
extortion from their members and mass arrest.
But the police Public Relation Officer for the State ASP
Abdulmzlik Abdulhafeez in a statement tilleted: ACT OF VANDALISM AND CRIMINAL
INTIMIDATION BY SOME CRIMINALS AT THE CENTRAL ROUNDABOUT DAMATURU; explained
that the police decided to clampdown on unregistered members of the association
who have flaunted curfew hours in the town.
His statement reads: “Following the persistent flaunting of curfew
placed on tricycle and the use of unregistered tricycles to commit crimes
especially abduction, theft and other sundry crimes, the command decided to
clampdown on unregistered tricycles to nib the situation from the bud.
“Unfortunately, some miscreants who claimed to be members of
the tricycle association took laws into their hands by attacking policemen who
were performing their lawful duties.
“They also damaged the Traffic Lights at the central
roundabout and prevented innocent people from accessing the central roundabout.
This is purely a criminal act and has nothing to do with protest.
“We are assuring all
law abiding citizens of their safety while appealing to parents and guardians to
warn their children and wards to desist from taking laws into their hands as anyone
caught would be charged to court, the PPRO warned.
The State Chairman of the Tricycle Association Alhaji Umaru
Barau also condiment the action of some of his members who went on rampage to vandalize
traffic light and block road.
Alhaji Barau exonerated the leadership of the association from
the action of their member, just as he confirmed that the fracas was as a result
of some of his members who have refused to register the machines with the state
government and obtain plate numbers for their machines.
According to Alhaji Barau, the police and Road Safety have
given them ample time of up to one year to register their tricycle but wondered
why some people are yet to register.
He promised that his leadership will continue to liaise with
the police and members to ensure a harmonious co-existence in the state.
His words: “ What happened today is a small issue that we did not understand each
other. It is all about registration of plate number. As the chairman of the
Association do I have the powers to stop any of my members from registering
their machine with the state government, I don’t have that powers.
“We have told them that all of them should go and register
with the state government and collect their plate number. This is the only
reason that has brought about this situation in the town today. Both the CP and
the road safety have told us this as leaders and we have called all our members
and inform them about this development.
“The police and the Road safety have given us a notice that
has expired more than one. I have go in and out of the police about this issue
for more than ten times.
“As I leader, I do not condone what the boys did by going
about burning and vandalizing things and blocking roads in Damaturu. What they did is wrong and we condemn this act
in its entirety. We don’t support this kind of attitude. If we must complain,
then we have to follow due process instead of going this path” he explained.
Alhaji Barau also dispelled news of his arrest and some of
his members by the police, saying, “I am not aware of any arrest. But what I know
is that police have done an operation concerning the plate number yesterday but
what I cannot conform is whether people were arrested. I have not been
arrested. The news of my arrest is fake news. I call on everybody to disregard
that,” he said
He also called on his members to be law abiding.
“We have called our members and asked them to be law abiding
and come back and continue their work. As a union, we do not support
lawlessness and we cannot be party to anything that will cause the breach of
security in the state” he implored.
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