After receiving a report of an alleged crime committed by a tricycle operator, the Kano Road and Traffic Agency, KAROTA on Thursday confirmed that it has impounded 16 tricycles, popularly known as ‘A Daidaita Sahu’ in the state, bearing the same registration number.
DAILY NIGERIAN reports that the new managing director of the KAROTA, Baffa Dan’agundi, has vowed to sanitize tricycle operations on the premise that they pose a security threat in the state.
The spokesman for the agency, Nabilsi Kofar-Na’isa, in an interview with DAILY NIGERIAN, said the arrest was made following a report of a crime by one Danlami Isyaku, who hired a tricycle with registration number TRN 730 to convey his plasma TV to GSM market at the Farm Centre.
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According to Mr Kofar-Na’isa, the victim was following the tricycle operator on his motorcycle as he could not enter the same vehicle with the TV due to its size, but along the way, the tricycle operator allegedly ran away with the item.
He said the victim took the registration number of the tricycle and reported the incident at KAROTA headquarters.
The spokesman said when the operatives of KAROTA launched its investigation, it discovered and impounded 16 tricycles operating with the same reported registration number in the state.
“We will continue searching for that particular tricyclist who ran away with that plasma TV to charge him to court alongside these ones that we have arrested.
“We are, therefore, calling on all tricycle operators who have their registration number duplicated without their knowledge to report to KAROTA because failure to do so may render the same punishment on them,” Mr Kofar-Na’isa said.
However, a viral video revealed the KAROTA operatives had impounded 29 tricycles after a man reported a robbery case at the agency on June 5.
In the 2.51-minute video, a voice was heard over narrating that the vehicles had been impounded after a man reported that he was robbed of his money and mobile phones by a tricyclist.
“When the man reported the incident to KAROTA, the operatives launched a patrol from 8 am to 2 pm and arrested 29 tricycles bearing same registration number: TRN 730.
“This is a testimony to the kind of crimes tricyclists are perpetrating in this town. They are posing a security threat in the state.
“This is a tip of the iceberg. We have to be careful and vigilant. We call on the general public, especially women to avoid taking tricycles with co-operator because many of them are criminals. They will just take you somewhere and rob you,” the voice added.
