Many Causalities As Bus Fleeing From ‘Illegal’ Tax Collectors Somersaults
At least seven people sustained varying degrees of injury on Thursday at Nwagu Junction in Agulu, Anaocha Local Government Area of Anambra State when a commercial shuttle bus whose driver was reportedly fleeing from ‘illegal’ tax collectors somersaulted.
It was gathered that the bus was heading to the Ekwulobia area of the state with the seven passengers on board when the ‘illegal’ tax collectors went after them.
And as the driver attempted to flee, he suddenly lost control of the vehicle when one of the agents allegedly threw a heavy stone at him, resulting in the accident.
“The bus was one of those the illegal revenue team invaded at Nwagu Junction Agulu. While they were pursuing the bus, one of the touts threw a heavy stone at the driver. He suddenly lost control of the bus and it veered off the road and somersaulted.
“All the passengers on board were left with different degrees of injuries while the driver is in a critical condition,” The Nation quoted a witness as saying.
The Transition Committee Chairman of Anaocha Local Government Area, Gerald Ozoh, while reacting to the incident, reportedly condemned the activities of illegal revenue collectors in the area.
He said Governor Chukwuma Soludo is not in support of any form of illegal revenue collection.
Ozoh, therefore, announced a temporary ban on the collection of all forms of revenue within the council until a proper investigation had been conducted to ascertain the genuine revenue agents of the government.
The council chairman disclosed that one person had been arrested in connection with the accident.
It was reported that shuttle bus drivers in the state lamented that they were daily extorted and harassed by illegal revenue collectors popularly known as touts (Agberos), who operate in cities across the state despite claims by Governor Soludo’s administration that their operation had been banned.
The drivers lamented that they were being harassed and extorted by the touts.
According to them, N700 is extorted from them in Onitsha, N3,000 in Ifite Awka and the same amount at Unizik and Eke Awka axis on a daily basis by the illegal tax collectors.
