By Aliyu Dahiru Aliyu
The Kano Road and Traffic Agency (KAROTA) arrests and extorts money from
motorcycle riders for not having a riding permit in the state.
A rider with the name Khatimu Kulkul has stated that the agency officials spotted him wearing a red cap, a symbol of opposition in the state, and arrested him.
He posted on Facebook that he was issued with an offence slip clearly stating that he was arrested for riding a motorcycle without a permit.
“I asked them what was my offence and they replied that I should show them my riding permit,” he narrated.
“I then told them I don’t know about it and they said it’s a new rule,” he added.
Another rider also narrated his experience with the agency officials on Tuesday, October 13, 2020.
An investigation has revealed that neither the agency nor any other body issues a riding permit in the state.
The section 16, 17 and 18 of the agency’s traffic offences and penalties doesn’t mention riding permits for motorcycle riders.
Several residents in Kano State have complained about the unlawful extortion they come across daily from the KAROTA.
Last month, a court order stopped the agency from selling a sticker it termed tracker to tricycle owners in the state after some human rights lawyers sued the agency.
According to the residents, the head of the agency, Baffa Babba Danagundi, is vetting his anger on motorists after he lost an election in 2019.
