Keke Riders Protest Police Arrests In PH

Operators of tricycles, popularly known as ‘Keke NAPEP’ have cried out over the alleged arrest of their members at Wimpey Junction, Ada George Road, in Port Harcourt, by men of the Nigeria Police; Rumuepirikom Division.

The operators who staged a peaceful protest in Port Harcourt recently complained about arbitrary arrests by policemen.

Our correspondent who was at the scene of the protest reports that the protesters, who came out in their numbers chanted, “this is democracy, we are tired of police harassment and “leave us alone”, amongst others.

They marched into the premises of the police with some of them in their tricycles.

The leader of the Keke Riders Association, Wimpey Unit, Mr Loveday Ugochukwu who narrated their ordeal said the arrests were unfair as keke business is their only means of livelihood. “We are buying union ticket, we are buying community ticket and if you put these together, it is up to N700 ticket everyday”, he lamented.

He explained that tricycle business was not a luxurious or lucrative one and appealed to the relevant authotities in the state to intervene in order to avert a break down of law and order between the operators and the police.