Not less than four persons might have lost their lives on Monday, following a fight that ensued between security officers and some northern youths protesting alleged extortion by the Commercial Motorcycle and Tricycle Operators Association’s (COMTOA).
The teenagers, organized by the Arewa Union in Asaba, attacked the office of the Commercial Motorcycle and Tricycle Operators Association (COMTOA) in Asaba, seeking a split from the state-controlled body.
It was alleged that the youngsters invaded several parts of the Asaba metropolis, leaving damage in its path, before heading to the office of COMTOA, on Summit Road, where they attacked members of the COMTOA Taskforce, damaging vehicles, office furniture, and making off with computers and other goods
Director General of COMTOA, Uchenna Okafor (aka Kosoko) said: “The Arewa Community are trying to form their own union so that they can avoid paying money to the State Government.
“Last week Saturday, we got information that they were about to set up a union that is different from the one the Delta State Government has inaugurated.
“We called the SA on the Arewa Community and the Sarki of Asaba and they denied it. At about 3.00 pm that day, it was discovered that they had already inaugurated their own Arewa Task Force and that was how it started.
“They started attacking people paying for tickets through COMTOA, chasing the task force and ticket sellers but we were not deterred because the revenue is for the government.
“Yesterday, we were around GRA with the Police to enforce the law against the movement of Keke riders from 10.00 pm when we were attacked again and we eventually left the area.
“This morning, about 300 Arewa tricycle riders came to our office to attack us with cutlasses, guns, and other arms. They broke doors, windows, stole laptops, generators and phones. They also ran away with bikes”.
Coordinator of the Arewa Community on Sales of Tickets, Hashima Abubakar, condemned the youths for violent protest and appealed to them to negotiate instead of perpetrating violence.
In a post on X formerly (Twitter), Edafe said: “They are policemen deployed to quell an ongoing protest against one of the State Taskforce in Asaba pls.”
In another post on X, he said: “There was a violent protest this morning by Okada riders who had an issue last night with the state task force that led to the death of two persons. They mobilized in their numbers this morning, destroying properties and beating people, hence our men were deployed to control the situation before it turns to something else.”
