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Commercial motorcyclists popularly known as alalok in Ikot Ekpene Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State have lamented the extortion by the police in the area. This is just as the police in the area alleged that their duty of enforcing the state-declared lock down was being hampered by the recalcitrant cyclists, who refused to obey the lock down order.
Some cyclists who spoke to the Sunday Sun in Ikot Ekpene said they were being charged between N5000 and N20000 before they were allowed to operate in Ikot Ekpene town and its environs since the lockdown was declared more than three weeks ago.
“They don’t listen to any excuse however genuine, even if you are carrying a sick person or a pregnant woman to the hospital if you are not ready to pay, you either go back or your bike will be impounded.
“We are really suffering here. It doesn’t happen like this in other towns. The police have turned us into their farm, not only during this lockdown, but even before now,” a cyclist, Sunday Ekpo, told our correspondent.
The Chairman of the cyclists union, Mr. Kufre Idio, however said he was yet to be informed by any of his members of the union on such development.
According to Idio, the union members, as responsible citizens obey the restriction earlier placed on use of motorcycles from 6 pm to 6am even before the lockdown.
