•Protesting dispatch riders in Abuja
Thousands of dispatch riders in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) today, Thursday, February 19, 2026 stormed the FCT Administration Secretariat in Area 11 in Abuja, protesting what they described as crippling multiple taxation.
The riders appealed directly to the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, urging him to intervene and halt what they termed extortion by revenue agents, reports Daily Independent.
Speaking during the protest, one of the riders’ spokespersons, Mr. Olawale Ilesanmi, said members were not opposed to paying taxes, stressing that they had consistently fulfilled their statutory obligations.
However, he lamented that the growing layers of taxation had become unbearable.
According to him, dispatch riders currently pay about N13,000 annually to the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), Bwari and Gwagwalada Area Councils.
He alleged that a new revenue collector had recently emerged, demanding N25,000 in the name of the FCT Administration, a fee he described as significantly higher than existing charges.
Ilesanmi further claimed that several motorcycles belonging to riders had been impounded, with owners allegedly compelled to pay the new N25,000 levy before their bikes could be released.
“The N25,000 is far higher than what we pay to the area councils. We are saying no to multiple taxation that is affecting our livelihood in Abuja,” he said.
He added that beyond annual levies, riders also pay N300 each time they enter markets within the city.
“This means if a rider enters the market 10 times a day, he pays N300 ten times,” he explained.
The protest was later suspended following the intervention of officials from the FCT Transportation Secretariat, who held discussions with leaders of the dispatch riders and promised to address their concerns.
