The Special Anti-Touting Squad for Anambra State (SASA) has nabbed eight members of a syndicate that specialised in illegal revenue collection and levy extortion from unsuspecting members of the public in parts of Ogbaru Local Government Area and the Head Bridge axis of Onitsha, the commercial nerve centre of the state.
Investigation by The Guardian revealed that the suspected illegal revenue collectors and touts devised dubious means of swooping on their victims and extorting money without issuing receipts from tricycle (“Keke”) riders, shuttle drivers, visitors, hawkers and barrow pushers, under the guise of operating as a task force or policy compliance team of either the state or local government council.
It was also gathered that the suspects usually ambushed commercial auto riders and drivers on the grounds of purported and often frivolous breaches of one traffic regulation or another, and forced them to part with sums of money to avoid being taken to a presumed “head office”.
The activities of these illegal revenue collectors run counter to the directive of the state government, led by Professor Chukwuma Soludo, declaring cash collection in the form of revenue illegal.
To stem the unwholesome activities of these touts, the state governor, Professor Chukwuma Soludo, established SASA to eliminate various forms of criminal activities such as one-chance robbery, drug abuse, handbag snatching and illegal extortion of traders across markets in the state, particularly in Onitsha and its surrounding areas.
Reacting to the arrest of the eight suspected illegal revenue collectors, the Managing Director of SASA, Monday Nwokoye, said the arrests aligned with Governor Soludo’s directive that all legitimate levies must be paid only through the official state POS system to ensure proper documentation, transparency and accountability.
Nwokoye recalled that the suspects were picked up during a coordinated operation, adding that investigations revealed they had been extorting citizens, transport operators and investors under the guise of collecting levies.
The SASA boss said: “Anambra State isn’t a playground for touts. The state will continue to enforce the laws of the state government under the mandate for which SASA was established, including flushing out illegal operators to protect investors and restore order in public spaces.”
He warned that anyone caught collecting money from residents, visitors, buses, “Keke” riders or traders without authorisation would face the law.
Nwokoye pointed out that since the establishment of SASA, incidents and reports of illegal extortion, one-chance robbery, handbag snatching and other criminal activities had reduced to the barest minimum.
He assured that SASA would continue to carry out its lawful duties in collaboration with other security agencies to prevent crime and maintain a peaceful environment in the state.
According to him, the governor’s vision of actualising a liveable and prosperous Anambra State informed the establishment of SASA to combat criminal activities across the state.
The SASA boss appreciated Governor Soludo for his foresight in setting up the squad, stressing that sanity now prevails across the state, particularly in Upper Iweka and other parts of Onitsha, as well as areas in Idemili North and South Local Government Areas.
He said the Soludo administration was determined to restore law and order in Anambra State as the Light of the Nation, adding that the anti-touting squad’s objectives include ensuring zero tolerance for touting and creating a pleasant experience for pedestrians and commercial activities on streets, roads and markets.
He advised unskilled residents and settlers to embrace the state government’s innovative empowerment programme, “One Youth, Two Skills”, through which they could acquire skills and receive start-up capital aimed at job creation, wealth generation, poverty alleviation, improved livelihoods and nation-building.
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