The Lags-based motorcycle association made the statement during a meeting at the Umuoji Hall, Titus Ufondu Street, Olodi- Apapa area of Lagos State, on Thursday that “the police have turned motorcycle riders into their ATMs”and promised to embark on a protest to attract the sympathy of Nigerians of the police do not desist from extorting money from its members.
The secretary-general of ACOMORAN, Ugochukwu Okolie, said that the association is intending to embark on ‘mother of all protest’ to let the world know that the motorcycle riders are suffering.
Okolie said he is “prepared to die for the cause, because my members and their families are dying of starvation. They cannot feed their wives and children, send the children to school, pay hospital and electricity bills, among others, and still pay the police.”
Okoli pointed out that the Lagos State Government Traffic Law banned motorcycles and tricycles from operating, but policemen are only interested in disturbing motorcycles riders while others are allowed to work freely.
“My members do not want to go into any criminal activity, that is why they decided to use their motorcycles to make a living,” he said.
Okoli warned the police to stop extorting and intimidating members of the association who are plying the lawful routes allowed by laws of the state. He also said he was ready to produce evidence showing that policemen are extorting money unnecessarily from the commercial motorcycle operators.
Okoli also promised that he would lay down his life if that would end the intimidation and harassment usually meted out to his members by the men of the Nigeria Police Force. “The protest will be totally different from what Nigerians are used to, because it will be an everyday show, until the government responds positively to our plight,” he assured.
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