Commuters in the nation's capital, Abuja on Monday, July 12, woke up to a protest by a group of taxi drivers.

The  drivers took to the streets over what they described as alleged harassment and collection of illegal levies by officials of the Vehicle Inspection Office.

protest in abuja

Taxi drivers gathered protest in Abuja. Photo credit: 24online/NurPhoto

The protesters who carried placards with various inscriptions gathered at the Federal Secretariat, Abuja, called for an end to the VIO task force.

Union leaders according to them, are preventing taxi drivers from operating by stopping their vehicles and asking passengers to alight.

Earlier, Comrade Shehu Shugabi Yar'adua, the president of painted Abuja Taxi, revealed steps taken by the union to address the incessant cases of illegal drivers in the Federal Capital Territory. Comrade Yar'adua made the disclosure , as the union signed a partnership with a ride-hailing app soon to be launched in Abuja.

He said steps have been taken to address the influx of alien drivers into Abuja which has heightened insecurity in the city, including the notorious 'one chance' operators.

Meanwhile, the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has mandated the use of the National Identification Number (NIN) for the processing of driver’s license.

Stressing that there would be no waiver for anyone, Kazeem emphasised the need for a harmonised database of all citizens and described it as critical to resolving security challenges in the country.The agency made the announcement in a statement posted on its social media pages and signed by an Assistant Corps Marshal, Bisi Kazeem.