Commercial motorcyclists, popularly known as okada, on Thursday trooped out in multiple to the streets of Akure, the Ondo State capital, to protest against alleged extortion by the officials of the Ondo State Ministry of Transport.

The okada riders, who marched on major streets in Akure, over the order by the state government to obtain a new number plate on each of their motorcycles at the rate of N10,000., however called on the state Governor, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, to reverse a new order,

The commercial motorcyclist who started their demonstration at the entrance of the Ministry of Works on Oyemekun Road in Ondo State Nigeria , were seen carrying  various placards with various inscriptions such as, ‘Mimiko must go, we are tired of this government'; and ‘Tofowomo is a thief’, among others.

Business activities were totally paralyzed for several hours as the popular Oba Adesida, Old garage, Hospital roads, among others, were blocked by the protesters, causing traffic gridlock in the city centre.

Efforts made by the state Chairman of the Amalgamated Commercial Motorcycle Riders Association of Nigeria , (ACOMORAN) Mr. Jimoh Obabi, to calm the protesters, were turned down as he was alleged to have been bribed by the government officials.

However, the chairman of the association was not available for comment during the protest and his telephone lines were not going through at the time of filling this report. One of the protesters, Akinola Olumide, who spoke with our correspondent, explained that the government had come up with a policy to ban all number plates used by commercial motor bikes not from Ondo State. He however described the action by the state government as “barbaric and exploitative”

“They say we can no longer use number plates from other states, but the one designed in the state with a red line. That means those who are arrested with such number plates are made to pay N5,000 and a compulsory N2,000 for ‘Card Igbeayo’ and another N700 before the bike will be released.

“Our leaders have been trying to get the government to change the policy, but they have refused,” Olumide said.

 While speaking on the issue the Special Adviser to the Governor on Union Matters, Mr. Dayo Fadahunsi, said government took the decision for security reasons following the spate of kidnappings and robberies in the state capital.

He explained that the decision was agreed upon during a meeting with the leaders of the association, adding that government had ordered the release of all seized Okadas and had given the operator till next week Friday to get the new commercial number plates.

He however described the allegation as blackmailing, he said they were asked to pay N6,000 to get a new commercial plate number. And not N17,000 which has been the speculation among the commercial motorcyclist.