Soldiers arrested two illegal revenue collectors and flogged with horse whips on Thursday September 4th 2025 at the King square in Benin City, Edo State Capital, leaving residents and commuters stunned.
The yet-to-be named revenue collectors were caught at 11: am, extorting money from commercial bus drivers shuttling the King square and Sapele road axis.
Witnesses told TheNewspad reporter that upon sighting the armed soldiers, the duo posed as passengers waiting to board a vehicle before they were rounded up.
It was learnt that one of the revenue collectors, got a close shave with death when he attempted to escape behind a branded Nigerian Army Hilux van.
The development angered the armed personnel who drilled the dark in complexion louts belived to be in their 40s, before they were handed over to police for investigation.
One of the commercial bus drivers identified only as ‘Amebor’, raised the alarm when the illegal revenue collectors pounced on him after resisting attempts to extort him after a heated arguments.
TheNewspad recalls that on August 5th 2025, the State Governor, Monday Okpebholo, banned the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN), ANNEWAT, and Drivers on Wheel.
The announcement endorsed by Secretary to Edo State Government, Musa Ikhilor, to Atalakpa Recovery Concept Limited and other unions as well as revenue collection agents.
The Government said the groups had grossly violating the conditions of their engagement under clearly defined terms of the regulator — Edo State Inland Revenue Service (EIRS) and resorted to cash collections, extortions, social harassment and intimidation of residents of the State.
The Government said having “observed with grave concern the alarming resurgence of illegal revenue collection by certain unions and organizations under various guises across the State”; “It considers these actions as acts of economic sabotage, social oppression, and a direct affront to law and order. The era of using unions as fronts to harass, intimidate, or extort drivers and road users in the name of revenue collection is over”, it said.
Accordingly, “All motorists, drivers, and road users are strongly advised not to pay any cash or comply with any form of illegal levy imposed by these banned entities”.
The statement, urged members of the public to report any such illegal activity to the Edo State Special Taskforce, coordinated by SP Michael Anetor via 08038157126.
