Some traders in Benin City over the weekend resisted payment to some suspected thugs who trooped out to defy the state government directives banning all forms of ticketing and levies especially from private tax collectors.
The thugs destroyed the wares of some of the traders who refused to pay while others paid the thugs.
Our reporter gathered that the traders used to pay between N900 and N1000 daily to different thugs within the various market vicinity whereas only N100 is the official payment to the coffers of local councils.
Governor Godwin Obaseki had last week banned all form of ticketing and payment of levies expect by employees of state and local government.
An orange seller at the Oba Market who gave her name as Patience said she ran away when the thugs stormed the market to demand payment.
Another tomatoes seller, Florence Osazuwa, said, “They came and fought with some of us. They called themselves Ogbe youths. We refused to pay and they destroyed our goods.
“We want government to help and protect us. We will pay to the government and in the thugs.”
A Hausa trader who deals on fruits, Abdullahi Musa, said he paid N920 to avoid his goods being destroyed.
Meanwhile, Edo State Commissioner of Police, Haliru Gwandu, has vowed to enforce the implementation of the ban on collection of revenue by private individuals as pronounced by the state governor.
Mr. Gwandu said that the command had put in place 20 squad that would ensure compliance to the pronouncement of the governor.