AHEAD of Saturday’s gubernatorial election in Ekiti State, some youths have barricaded roads at Kota junction, Omu-Ekiti in Ekiti-East Local Government of Area of the state.
The youths, in connivance with some members of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) were seen extorting motorists coming in and going out of the town on Friday.
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The ICIR observed that the youths in their numbers gathered at the popular Kota roundabout that led to Ayedun, Ilasa, Omuoke and some other communities in the local government.
One of the youths, simply identified as Kaybee told The ICIR that they are trying to get their own ‘dividends’ from the people trooping into the town to participate in the gubernatorial election.
“Our main targets are the politicians who only come to the town to vote and then disappear after the election,” Kaybee said.
The ICIR observed as the youths were collecting N500 and N200 notes from the motorists. Drivers of commercial vehicles were not spared.
Omu-Ekiti, where the youths were perpetuating the act is the headquarters of Ekiti-East local government.
The local government has been in total darkness for over ten years despite being the home of a two-term senator representing Ekiti South, Biodun Olujimi, as well as Olufemi Bamisile, the member representing Emure/Gbonyin/Ekiti-East in the House of Representatives.
'Niyi worked with The ICIR as an Investigative Reporter and Fact-checker from 2020 till September 2022. You can shoot him an email via [email protected]. You can as well follow him on Twitter via @niyi_oyedeji.