Thousands of dispatch riders in the Federal Capital Territory staged a mass protest over what they described as crippling layers of taxation, urging authorities to halt fresh levies they say are threatening their livelihoods.
The protesters appealed to the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, calling on him to intervene and stop what they termed extortion by revenue agents. They emphasised that they were not opposed to lawful taxation but were against excessive and duplicative charges.
One of the riders’ spokespersons, Mr. Olawale Ilesanmi, said members had consistently met their statutory obligations, but the introduction of additional fees had made operations increasingly difficult for commercial motorcycle couriers across the territory.
The protest took place on Thursday at the FCT Administration Secretariat in Area 11, Abuja, where riders gathered in large numbers to press their demands and seek immediate government intervention.
According to Ilesanmi, riders currently remit about N13,000 annually to the Abuja Municipal Area Council, as well as the Bwari and Gwagwalada Area Councils, but were recently confronted with a fresh N25,000 demand purportedly on behalf of the FCT Administration.
He alleged that motorcycles belonging to some operators had been seized, with owners reportedly required to pay the new N25,000 levy before retrieval.
“The N25,000 is far higher than what we pay to the area councils. We are saying no to multiple taxation that is affecting our livelihood in Abuja,” he said.
Ilesanmi further disclosed that beyond yearly payments, riders are charged N300 each time they enter markets within the city. “This means if a rider enters the market 10 times a day, he pays N300 ten times,” he explained.
The demonstration was later suspended after officials from the FCT Transportation Secretariat engaged leaders of the riders, assuring them that their grievances would be examined and addressed.
