From Igbunu Miracle
MEMBERS of the public have called on the Director general of the Delta State Traffic Management Authority, DESTMA,
Olorogun Dieseruvwe to call to other his staff over illegal fee collection embarked upon by some officers
Destma officials, it was gathered has taken over the role of Nigeria police in checking suspected vehicle particulars and the Road Safety officers.
According to one of the victims who gave his name as Eloho, Okowa police stopped us at Otovwodo market demand for us helmet which we told them we don’t have.
“The leader of the team told us that our offence is Fifteen thousand naira, N15,000 if we don’t want to be booked and our motorcycles not taken to the office.
I pleaded with them that am preparing for my late father’s burial the next day that they should allow me and my husband to go, our plea was turned down
The team leader who othered his boys to roll our motorcycle towards their waiting vehicle cornered us and asked us to pay N10,000 and if we don’t have ten we should pay N N5,000. We insisted that we don’t have any money that after our purchase we were only left with N2,000 which collected from us before allowing us to go.
We have no option than to part with only money that was left with us because he threatened to take our bike to their office and we will spend more to bail it.
I could not identify his name because there was no name on the name tag.
While we were leaving, they told us that if any of their member arrest us we should tell that we have settled with D2 and they will understand and allow us to go.
Another victim who refused to give his name said, “The excesss of this Okowa police is becoming too much on motorcycle riders in Ughelli.
According to him, Okowa police will stand with ticket tax force boys and after extorting from you, they will signal the tax force to arrest your Keke and motorcycle for not buying ticket before 10:Am.
He alleged that, they now demand for particulars of motorcycle and Keke. What is the rationale behind this checking particular, that when you don’t have Drivers license, you have to pay N1,000 to them
We are appealing to the state government and their boss, Olorogun Dieseruvwe to caution them against these illegal extortion.
