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Drivers plying Port-Harcourt axis on Saturday staged a protest in the State blocking the ever-busy Eleme-Port-Harcourt-Aba road over the attack on their colleague who was allegedly beaten to stupor by touts in the area over his refusal to heed to their illegal tax directive.
The driver was identified as Nze was allegedly beaten to stupor by the touts after he refused their demand of ₦50 eliciting serious uproar from his colleagues who were infuriated by the decision.
Some of the angry protesting divers who spoke to The Eastern Updates revealed that the victim who hails from Akwa-Ibom State was attacked by the touts at Eleme park while trying to discharge his passengers.
The drivers while lamenting the absurd taxation on them which they described as illegal called for a stop to the multiple illegal purchases of tickets running into over ₦2500 daily which they described as unacceptable while submitting that they can only afford to buy the daily ministry of Transport ticket.
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They expressed sadness that even after the purchase of several illegal tickets imposed on them, it always becomes almost impossible for them to remit daily returns to the owners of vehicles, feed and take care of their families or even maintain their vehicles.
The drivers called on the Rivers State Government to intervene in the matter while pointing out that the anomaly has already been allowed to linger for so long.
The leader of the drivers who spoke to reporters at the scene while describing how the victim was treated said; ‘First of all, they started beating him, telling him to bring money, before you know it, one of them used a plywood to hit him on his head’.
‘As you can see, drivers have blocked the road, they want rivers State Government to come and help us.’
‘They are touts, they are criminals, they shouldn’t be allowed to continue harassing us’.
‘₦2500 every day, how much do we deliver in a day’ he queried.
Police officers from the Elele police division who spoke to reporters promised to wade in to restore calm to the area to ensure free flow of traffic noting that the victim is still in receiving treatment in an undisclosed hospital.
THE EASTERN UPDATES
