Dispatch riders in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) on Thursday stormed the FCT Administration Secretariat, Abuja, protesting what they described as “multiple taxation.”

The riders, who came out in their thousands, appealed to the FCT Minister Nyesom Wike to intervene and stop the extortion.

One of the riders’ spokespersons, Olawale Ilesanmi, said that riders were aware of their obligation to pay tax and have been doing.

Mr Ilesanmi, however, said the multiple taxation imposed on dispatch riders has become unbearable.

He explained that the protest was to say “no to multiple taxation” and to appeal to the FCT minister to put an end to the alleged unlawful taxes.

He said that dispatch riders have been paying their tax obligation to the Abuja Municipal Area Council, Bwari and Gwagwalada area councils, amounting to multiple taxation.

He said that the riders were paying N13,000 annually to the area councils, adding, however, a new revenue collector emerged, asking for N25,000 in the name of the FCT Administration.

According to him, the motorcycles of many riders have been impounded, and the owners forced to pay the new fee before the motorcycles will be released.

He added, “The N25,000 is way higher than what we pay the area councils. We are, therefore, kicking against the multiple taxation that is affecting us directly in Abuja.

“We riders, we know that it’s our statutory obligation to pay tax, and we have been complying year in, year out, paying to AMAC, paying to Bwari and to Gwagwalada area councils.

“But all of a sudden, another group of tax collectors emerged from nowhere with another demand in the name of FCT Administration, asking for higher tax compared with what we pay to AMAC.”

The spokesman added that the riders equally pay N300 for a ticket each time they enter a market in Abuja.

“This means that when we enter the market 10 times in a day, we are bound to pay N300 10 times,” he said.

The riders suspended the protest following intervention by officials of the FCT Transportation Secretariat, who met with the leaders of the dispatch riders. 

(NAN)