Police Harassment: NACTOMORAS Threatens Nationwide Protest, Appeals To Tinubu, Oborevwori To Wade In

The Delta State chapter of the National Commercial Tricycle and Motorcycle Owners/Riders Association (NACTOMORAS) has appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Governor Sheriff Oborevwori to intervene in the ongoing police harassment and brutality against its members.

The group alleged that the Delta State Police Command is being used by rival groups to obstruct their lawful transport business activities, resulting in the seizure of over 150 tricycles and motorcycles valued at more than N150 million.

Despite a 2022 recommendation by the National Human Rights Commission to cease harassment and pay compensation to affected members, the police have not complied, NACTOMORAS said, threatening a nationwide protest if the situation persists.

The group, in a peaceful protest held at Udu Road in Udu Local Government Area of Delta State, alleged that officers of the Delta State Police Command are being used by rival groups to obstruct their lawful transport business activities.

The protest

The protesters cited the 2015 death of one of their members and the seizure of over 150 tricycles and motorcycles valued at more than N150 million as a direct result of police actions.

NACTOMORAS further highlighted that the National Human Rights Commission in 2022 recommended that the police cease harassment of the association’s members in Delta State. The commission also advised the payment of N8 million to the family of the deceased member. Despite these recommendations, the group claims that the police have not complied and continue to harass and arrest their members indiscriminately.

Speaking to journalists during the protest, the National Public Relations Officer, who also serves as the Delta State chapter chairman, Comrade Goodwin Ikolo, said, “We are protesting against the high-handedness of the Nigeria Police Force in Delta State over issues related to our operations. As law-abiding citizens, we belong to a noble association registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission, and we are aware that the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria guarantees freedom of association.”

Ikolo accused the Delta State Ministry of Transportation and a rival association of using the police, along with recruited thugs and touts, to obstruct NACTOMORAS operations. “They molest, witch-hunt, and arrest our members across the state, obstructing our business activities,” he said.

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He recalled that on September 5th and 6th, 2016, the Delta State Ministry of Transport, in collaboration with a combined team of four Hilux security agents, raided their office in Udu, arresting members and confiscating over 150 motorcycles and tricycles. The then Commissioner for Transport publicly stated that the arrests and confiscations would continue.

“What we want now is for the police to adhere strictly to the judgment and recommendations of the National Human Rights Commission, where all parties were present, and stay out of our business. If not, we will mobilize our over 6 million registered members across the country to engage in a massive protest against police brutality,” Ikolo warned.

NACTOMORAS emphasized that it is a legally registered body with the Corporate Affairs Commission and appealed to both the federal and state governments to intervene and secure the release of their tricycles and motorcycles that have been held by the police for years. Many of the confiscated vehicles were purchased under hire purchase agreements, leaving their owners in financial distress.

Comrade Felix Mamakpacha and Evangelist Solomon Isukuru also urged President Tinubu and Governor Oborevwori to urgently rescue them from the ongoing police harassment and the actions of recruited thugs and touts. “We believe the president and governor are not yet aware of our plight, which is why we are appealing before the situation escalates further,” they said.

When the Delta State Police spokesperson was contacted for his reaction, the Police Public Relations Officer, Delta State Command, SP. Edafe Bright said that they only recognized and dealt with the bodies recognized by the Delta State Government.

He added that the National Commercial Tricycle and Motorcycle Owners/Riders Association (NACTOMORAS) is prescribed in Delta, and it’s unknown to the state government and that as an institution, it’s their duty to protect legal bodies, nothing that they are not answerable to National Human Right Commission.

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According to him, if the leadership of NACTOMORAS wants to operate in Delta, they should go to court and enforce their right; “the National Human Rights Commission are the judiciary; are they the Court? We are not duty-bound to listen to them. I just want you to get it clear: they are not the judiciary; if they have issues, they should go to court so that the court will give a verdict.

“National Human Rights Commission, are they the one giving me instruction. If there is a body recognized by the state government, this other body should go to that body. Why will they be operating unmonitored without any form of control.

On the union protest he said, “I am not aware of this protest or anything but I am just talking based on what you told me,”