Despite the order from Governor Charles Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra State, to touts and illegal revenue collectors to vacate their duty posts that include, roads parks, markets, among others, scores of them from Onitsha and environs, Wednesday vowed to stay put adding that they have been in existence prior to the coming on board of the Governor.
Reacting at the notorious Upper Iweka axis in Onitsha, one of them who simply identified himself as Benjack, reiterated that, “it is from here that we make our living, we are not armed robbers but road workers who assist road users especially motorists in loading and off loading of passengers and goods”.
“For Governor Soludo to say he has sacked us is not true. We have been here right from the creation of the state. We even assist the government in fighting armed robbers.
On several occasions we arrest them and hand over to the police. The other time a pick-pocket was arrested and handed over to one of those police patrol teams”.
Also at Nkpor Junction, adjacent to St Anthony church, where scores of them were seen collecting money from tricycle operators and commuter buses, they openly operate.
One of them who was in a heated argument with a bus driver told the driver that, “if you like call Soludo, you must pay your due before you move”.
“Before Soludo we had Willie Obiano, before Obiano we had Peter Obi, who is going to be our nest president.”
“At Oba junction, near Onitsha, and within the Fly -over bridge that is still under construction, the touts there in collaboration with illegal revenue collectors, beat a tricycle operator to coma and asked him to call Obiano on phone that they are not running away”
“It was on sighting a patrol police van coming towards that direction that prompted them to flee the scene even as the tricycle operator was lying in the pool of his blood.
Similar incident was also recorded at Idemili Odekpe, Ogbaru Local Government Area as these miscreants forcefully collected money from drivers and sometimes snatch handsets from unsuspecting passengers.
A mini bus driver who was forced to cough out #200, had on cursing them, had the beating of his life and his bus smashed beyond recognition.
One of the touts told him to call the Governor saying, “he thinks he can sack us, let him call the police and we will call IPOB” END
