The Commander, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Borno, Mr Ibrahim Abdullahi, has expressed concern over the spate of crimes allegedly being perpetrated by unregistered tricycle operators in the state.
Abdullahi made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria, (NAN) in Maiduguri on Thursday.
He alleged that aside road traffic infractions, the spate of crimes suspected to be perpetrated by unregistered tricycle operators was alarming.
The NSCDC boss observed that a number of persons with questionable character had infiltrated the trade, a trend which posed serious threat to security situation in the Maiduguri metropolis.
“Cases of assault, armed robbery, rape and other crimes are perpetrated on daily basis by suspected unregistered tricycle operators without number plates.
“The criminal activities has been going on; unfortunately, residents of the metropolis suffer the most, ” Abdullahi said.
He urged the Amalgamated Commercial Tricycle, Motorcycle Owners, Repairs and Riders Association of Nigeria (ACOMORAN), to adopt effective measures to regulate membership registration for easy identification.
He noted that the measure was imperative to check infiltration of criminal elements into the trade.
In his reaction, Alhaji Kaigama Muhammad, the Chairman of the union, called on law enforcement agencies to arrest criminals disguising as its members.
Muhammad said that the union had filed reports to security agencies over spate of unregistered tricycle riders operating in the state.
According to him, the union had registered about 18,000 members in the state. (NAN)