By By Zik Gbemre
A harrowing encounter with the Delta State Traffic Management Authority (DESTMA) on Saturday, 1st March 2025, in Warri, as narrated by a victim, Kingsley Oghwe, reinforces my assessment of Governor Sheriff Oborevwori’s administration as one that thrives on thuggery and extortion against a defenceless populace.
On that fateful day, Oghwe was ensnared by a gang of thuggish DESTMA operatives at a traffic light along Airport Road, Warri, for allegedly not wearing a seatbelt. He was presented with two options: pay a N75,000 fine or face trial in court the following Monday.
In the end, he was coerced into paying a bargained cash sum of N30,000 before his impounded car was released. The DESTMA gang leader brazenly claimed they operated ruthlessly to meet the governor’s revenue target, warning that failure to do so would result in their replacement by other waiting state-backed enforcers.
Before detailing Oghwe’s ordeal, it is important to emphasise that DESTMA, initiated by former Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan, was never intended as an extortionist tool or a revenue generator. The primary goal was to deter reckless driving and indiscriminate parking, thereby easing traffic congestion in major Delta cities.
Even assuming, without conceding, that Governor Oborevwori is intent on extorting motorists, how much does the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) fine offenders for not wearing a seatbelt? How does DESTMA, merely duplicating the FRSC’s functions, justify imposing a N75,000 fine or extorting N30,000 in negotiated payments?
Oghwe’s Testimony
Narrating his ordeal, the victim stated:
“I am Engr. Kingsley Oghwe, owner of a blue Toyota Corolla with registration number LSD 440 FN. At about 11:50 am on Saturday, 1st March 2025, I was accosted by Delta State road task force officers (men in blue uniforms) for not wearing my seatbelt at the traffic light on Airport Road, opposite Water Board, near TJ’s Eatery.
“They instructed me to follow them to their office for a warning. However, upon arrival at their office opposite Delta Boat Yard by the NEPA office, near NPA Warri, where other vehicles were also impounded, they locked my car tyres and told me to see their boss. When I met him, he stated that I would either face trial in a mobile court or pay a fine of N75,000 for the seatbelt offence.
“I pleaded for leniency, explaining that it was an honest mistake, but my appeals fell on deaf ears. The boss and his team drove off, leaving me stranded at their yard. After keeping me there until 3:41 pm, he returned and insisted that I pay N30,000 immediately, or my tyres would be deflated.
“I asked if I could transfer the money to him, but he refused, instructing me to withdraw cash from a nearby POS. Desperate to recover my car, I complied. A lady received the money in his office without issuing a receipt.
“When I requested a receipt, they refused, stating I could only get one if I left my car in their custody with deflated tyres until Monday, when I could visit Zenith Bank. Fearing for my car’s safety, I declined.
“Before leaving, I asked the task force boss for his phone number, but he refused. The lady who collected the money then instructed one of the officers to take a photograph of my driving licence.”
A Criminal Enterprise Masquerading as Traffic Enforcement
The junction at Airport Road by Water Board in Warri has become an extortion point where DESTMA operatives harass motorists, create traffic congestion instead of easing it, and fleece innocent road users. They boast openly that they operate under Governor Oborevwori’s directives and have revenue targets to meet. This is unlawful and unacceptable.
Was DESTMA established to regulate traffic or to generate revenue through extortion? Is Governor Oborevwori running a government of thuggery, where motorists are robbed under the guise of traffic enforcement? The FRSC fines seatbelt offenders just N2,000—yet DESTMA, straying far from its original purpose, has become a menace, engaging in illegalities and obstructing free movement.
Governor Oborevwori, Act Now!
Mr Governor, you must dismantle this extortion racket at Airport Road by Water Board. These DESTMA operatives serve no public good; they exist solely to extort motorists. Why should we tolerate this lawlessness? Every day, they perch there in their blue uniforms, preying on unsuspecting drivers.
Warri does not need DESTMA officers causing chaos instead of ensuring order. This nonsense must stop. Governor Oborevwori, do not allow DESTMA to continue tormenting motorists. Enough is enough!
“We mobilise others to fight for individual causes as if they were our own.”
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