KANO — Residents and commercial tricycle (Keke Napep) operators in Kano Metropolis have raised serious concerns over alleged illegal enforcement and extortion by officers attached to the Ja’oji Police Division along the busy Zoo Road axis.
According to complaints lodged by local commuters and drivers, plainclothes officers operating around Total Junction and Kokiya Filling Station have routinely targeted tricycle operators stopping briefly to drop off or pick up passengers.
Key Allegations Raised By Residents
- Enforcement Without Markings: Complainants point out that there are no visible “No Parking” signs, road markings, or official traffic designations indicating that brief passenger drop-offs are prohibited at the Total Junction and Kokiya Filling Station corridors.
- Plainclothes Operations: Officers involved in the alleged arrests reportedly operate in civilian attire without clear identification, creating fear and confusion among commercial drivers.
- Extortion Under Guise of Traffic Violations: Riders allege that after being apprehended for alleged illegal parking, officers demand cash settlements to release their tricycles rather than issuing formal traffic citations.
Calls For Immediate Investigation
The allegations have sparked widespread calls from Kano residents for the Kano State Police Command and the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in charge of the Ja’oji Division to intervene immediately.
“Tricycle operators provide essential transport across Zoo Road. Arresting riders where there are no clear traffic signs—and doing so in plain clothes—smacks of harassment rather than genuine traffic management. The Police Command must investigate these practices.” — Kano Resident
Stakeholders are urging the Command’s Complaint Response Unit (CRU) and relevant traffic regulatory bodies to audit operations along the Zoo Road corridor, enforce transparency, and ensure police personnel strictly adhere to lawful enforcement procedures.
