ADNJUMANI, UGANDA: The police in Adjumani district Wednesday clashed with boda boda cyclists in Adjumani after the boda boda cyclists stormed the traffic police checkpoint at Tete bridge in Arinyapi sub county accusing the police of using the checkpoint for extorting money.
The police who were thin on the ground tactically withdrew and drove towards Adjumani town as they ordered for re-enforcement, before reaching Adjumani town they were re-enforced and engaged the boda-boda cyclists who were pursuing them, in the battle the police confiscated 11 motorcycles as the cyclists scampered for dear lives.
Another fierce clash later occurred in Adjumani town council at around 11:00 am after the boda-boda cyclists numbering about 300 attempted to storm Adjumani central police station to recover the seized motorcycles.
Police responded swiftly with teargas and rubber bullets as the boda-bodas riders scattered in the streets, they shortly re-organized and rode to the district headquarters to deliver their grievances to the district chairman Mr Anyama Ben but the police again engaged them nonetheless few managed to access the district headquarters and met the chairman.
Still not satisfied with the response of the district chairman they returned to the town center and pleaded with the RDC Taban Data Peter to prevail on the police to release their motorcycles but the police who were still recovering from the exhaustion of running battles with the boda-boda riders advised that the matter be sorted on Thursday.
No fatalities were recorded by press time but some boda-boda riders claimed two of their colleagues who have been hit with rubber bullets from close range have been admitted to Adjumani general referral hospital.
The irate boda boda riders in Adjumani have said the traffic police have since January 2023 been indulged in sustained money extortion which is crippling their business.
Mr Ambayo Nobert the chairman Boda-Boda Association Nyumanzi refugee settlement explains that the traffic police have been extorting shs 10.000 from each of the boda-boda riders daily and efforts to dialogue with them were futile.
He said instead the in-charge traffic police Adjumani district ASP Aloet produced a long list of requirements that they should fulfil before hitting the roads which include; driving permits, reflector jackets, helmets, third-party insurance and mechanical conditions of the motorcycles among others.
“We are rural Boda Boda cyclists ‘and are naïve about the traffic and road safety Act we have therefore been succumbing to the pressure of the traffic police with little resistance”
Mr Ambayo said the police who have planted agents among the boda-boda community have mastered all their escape and manoeuvre paths and days of transport business boom especially when the refugees are receiving food and other non-food relief items that is when they intensify operations and exercise no conciliation.
The “arrest and extort money” operations according to the boda-boda chairman have affected the boda-boda communities in Arinyapi, Dzaipi Pakele and Elegu town council in Amuru district whose number is estimated to have exceeded 1.000.
When asked if indeed they have met all the requirements demanded by the in-charge traffic police ASP Aloet, the Boda-Boda leaders said they have also been benchmarking but in Uganda, the law is observed through logic but not strict adherence and enforcement.
The Adjumani district police commander SP Benon Byamukama could not issue statements to journalists because by press time the central police station was still a no-go area for civilians.
Both Adjumani RDC Taban Data Peter and district chairman Anyama Ben have confirmed having received the leaders of the Boda-Boda team from Arinyapi and Dzaipi sub-counties and the issues raised concerns money extortions which their respective offices will jointly handle expeditiously.
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