Rights and Freedom Advocates (RIFA) appreciate patriotic Nigerians and most especially good residents of Ogun State who reported and expressed disappointment in the chaos caused by some touts who called themselves Commercial Motorcycle Riders Identification Scheme (COMORIS) boys.
The Senior Citizens who contacted us on Saturday May 24, 2025 regarding atrocities of those boys at Baptist Primary School Junction, Ijaye, Abeokuta we thank you as the details you provided were very helpful.
Following our press release a week ago, we received calls from patriotic senior citizens of Nigeria who did not even have bikes on the road but lamented on the atrocities of the miscreants who constituted nuisance to road users most especially in Abeokuta attacking people on the road mercilessly.
RIFA message got to authorities including the Ogun State Command of Nigeria Police Force and the most proactive security agency; Department of State Services (DSS) whose leadership and officers have remained epitome of professionalism in proactiveness to security issues.
RIFA specifically appreciate the DSS State Command and the Commissioner of Police in Ogun State; Dr Olanrewaju Ogunlowo who have allowed legality to prevail by aligning with RIFA stance that COMORIS remains illegal. So, RIFA appreciate the CP for the signal that no Police Station or officer should associate with those boys henceforth.
By implications, no police officer should allow those boys to hijack any bike in the name of illegal fees or keeping any hijacked bike at any Station.
Our message would be incomplete without appreciating the patriotic DPO of Ibara Police Station; SP Lateef Balogun whose patriotism has made him a good ambassador of Nigerian Police. He is another activist Police Officer worthy of recognition. The DCO Ibara; Mr Adebolu Majeed is another diligent officer like the DPO. He has always been passionate when his attention is drawn to an issue requiring justice the same way officer Tope of same Division has been a good ambassador of Nigeria Police Force. She has rendered many services including returning lost identity card of a member by contacting RIFA leadership. Her disposition was unusual as she refused to be appreciated.
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This is how patriotism develops as RIFA sacrifice our resources for liberation of others.
Similarly, those who know the Abeokuta South Local Government Chairman should remind him that there is no immunity for local government chairmen. Therefore, he should not incur unnecessary legal liability for the local government by allowing civil servants do their jobs of collecting revenue due to the local government as against attempt to divert local government revenue to strange pockets.
So, a purported illegal revenue collection contract to one Nurudeen Olayinka Sanyaolu also known as BETTERLIFE despite the patriotic action of the local government councilors ordering disbandment of the touts illegally detaining people for various manipulated and fake offences remain ultra vires of the local government because there is no law that allows outsourcing of government revenue collection at any level in the Country.
According to extant law (Taxes and Levies (Approved list for collection) Act Cap.T2 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria,2004), the only road taxes collectible by local government are Naming of street registration fee, excluding any street in the State Capital, Motor park levies, Merriment and road closure levy., Bicycle, truck. canoe, wheelbarrow and cart fees, other than a mechanically propelled truck and wrong parking charges.
The issue of helmet belongs to the State ditto to driver licence or number plate matters. Therefore, Nigerians should help Abeokuta local government Chairman spend the local government money should he return those boys earlier disbanded for their nefarious activities. There is no law that empowers any government to outsource revenue collection or mount roadblocks in the name of revenue collection anywhere in the Country. If the local government wants to collect any levy, it is the constitutional duty of Local Government Revenue Committee and not any other entity.
On this note, RIFA urge Nigerian Police Force to implement the extant laws by arresting and prosecuting those touts who mount road blocks in the name of any levy or extortion because the law empowers them to do so. Taxes and Levies (Approved list for collection) Act Cap.T2 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria,2004 provides: in Section “2. (1) Notwithstanding anything contained in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended, or in any other enactment or law, no person, other than the appropriate tax authority, shall assess or collect, on behalf of the Government, any tax or levy listed in the Schedule to this Act, and members of the Nigeria Police Force shall only be used in accordance with the provisions of the tax laws. (2) No person, including a tax authority, shall mount a road block in any part of the Federation for the purpose of collecting any tax or levy.3. A person who –(a) collects or levies any tax or levy; or (b) mounts a road block or causes a road block to be mounted for the purpose of collecting any tax or levy, in contravention of section 2 of this Act, is guilty of an offence and liable on conviction to a fine of N50,000 or imprisonment for 3 years or to both such fine and imprisonment”.
On the last note, we appreciate His Excellency Ogun State Governor; Prince Dapo Abiodun CON whose order disbanding the miscreants on the roads is imminent as RIFA can reliably reveal because those boys have been tarnishing the good image of the State even with the presence of visitors. In the meantime, RIFA call on the Ogun state government to prevail on the Abeokuta South local government leadership to eschew anarchy which is being promoted by the local government through illegal outsourcing of revenue meant for the development of the local government.
RIFA urge Stakeholders to rise against illegality being promoted by some public officials while allowing peace to reign even in the face of highest level of provocations.
Luqman Soliu
President,
Rights and Freedom Advocates (RIFA)
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