Tackle Extortionists at Onitsha Head Bridge, Obi Appeals to Obiano

Charles Ajunwa in Lagos and David-Chyddy Eleke in Awka

Former Governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi, was yesterday detained at the Onitsha Head Bridge in the state for about three hours by touts.

The touts were said to be collectors of illegal toll from users of the bridge, detaining motorists to ensure payment, but unfortunately, the former governor was travelling through the route.

He, therefore, appealed to the state Governor, Chief Willie Obiano, to tackle the menace of different extortionist groups at the Onitsha Bridge Head and other areas, and call them to order.

Obi, who spoke to journalists, lamented that the wait was excruciating, and that he was forced to get out of his car to find out what the problem was.

Obi, who recounted his experience to journalists, lamented the suffering road users go through in the hands of the illegal toll collectors in Onitsha.

According to him, “I was passing through the Bridge Head in the morning when I experienced over three hours delay in traffic. Out of curiosity, I had to come down from my vehicle only to behold different groups extorting money from the people.

“Apart from causing delays in traffic, they constitute a menace to the travelling public, businesses and people’s sources of livelihood, not to mention the countless hours lost to unproductivity at such traffic.”

Obi appealed to the state government to move in quickly and flush out all illegal groups using the name of the government to cause problems for the people at a time like this, when Nigerians are already passing through tough times occasioned by cumulative years of bad leadership.

“Aside causing more hardship to road users, these extortionists pose a serious security threat to the society,” he added.

The former governor also called on all those engaged in the illegal acts to think twice and mend their ways rather than harassing those that make honest efforts to make ends meet.