Business activities and vehicular movement were disrupted in Enugu on Wednesday as hundreds of commercial transporters and market traders protested against what they described as heavy taxation and rising fuel prices.
The protesters, including tricycle riders, minibus drivers and shop owners, took to major roads and transport hubs around Ogbete Main Market, Old Park and the Holy Ghost axis, affecting access to parts of the city’s central commercial district.
The protest came amid concerns over daily levies and state tax policies. The Executive Chairman of the Enugu State Internal Revenue Service, Ekene Nnamani, had recently defended the state’s tax reforms, saying informal-sector internally generated revenue increased from less than ₦100 million annually to ₦7.4 billion following the consolidation of levies through technology.
The state government said its central e-ticket system, which costs traders ₦36,000 annually and involves consolidated daily payments for transporters, was introduced to eliminate illegal road tolls and multiple-agency collections.
However, some protesters gave a different account, alleging that their daily operational taxes had risen from ₦350 to ₦1,000 over the past 20 months. A commercial driver, Michael Chieze, also complained about daily tickets, park fees and fines, while citing the rising cost of petrol.
Police units and government representatives were deployed to the Ogbete-Holy Ghost corridor as the protest caused traffic congestion, with authorities engaging the demonstrators and working to restore movement in the affected areas.
