Commercial motorcycle riders in Lokoja, the Kogi State capital, on Monday protested over alleged police harassment and hike in levies by the State Government.

The protesters barricaded parts of the popular Muritala Muhammed Way in Lokoja to register their grievances.

Addressing journalists, Chairman, Motorcycles Owners Operators of Nigeria, Lokoja Branch, Abdulrahaman Abubakar, lamented that the police and other security agencies who are supposed to protect them have been allegedly extorting their members who are doing their legitimate businesses.

He frowned at the consistent increase in the levies imposed on their members by the state government, noting that its impact is not being felt by motorcyclists in the state.

“We are tired of this harassment from the police in Lokoja. If our members are going through Felele, Zango axis or anywhere in Lokoja, the police will stop them just to collect money even though they had no case to answer.

“This is totally unfair and unacceptable. For how long are we going to continue like this? The state government must do something to put an end to this day light robbery.

“The state government on the other hand are making things worse for us. They kept increasing taxes of our members on daily basis. How much are we making that they just want to rip us off? They keep collecting much money from us without considering the implications on our families. Some of our members are riding their bikes because they collected it through hire purchase.

“Many of them can no longer meet their daily target due to over taxation. If this continues we might be forced to withdraw our services from the roads in Kogi State,” he said.

Abubakar appealed to the state government to reverse it policy so that the union can be responsible for the collection of dues from it members.

A woman moved in with her ex-husband, current husband and their two children to save money on rent and says they all get on “amazingly.”

Megan Meyer, 25, was married to her ex-husband, police officer, Tyler, 25, for almost four years and they had a daughter, 3, before the pair split at the end of 2023.

While the divorce was being finalized, she ended up reconnecting with her high school boyfriend, Michael, 25, a laborer.

Just two months later, she fell pregnant with Michael’s baby, and the three adults decided to move to the East Coast in separate apartments, to help raise and co-parent their children.

But the three eventually decided to move in together to save on rent costs.

Megan says the dynamic with her “brother husbands” is just like any other housemate situation, with herself and Michael in the upstairs bedroom, and Tyler sleeping in the garage.

Megan, a stay-at-home mom, said: “Finances just got so unbearable — at the beginning of May [2024], I was dropping my daughter off at my ex’s place, when I asked, hesitantly, if we could all move in together.

“My current husband had been suggesting it for a while — but I kept telling him it was ‘crazy,’ and that it isn’t what people do.

“I came round to the idea of us having one place, but our own space — and to my surprise, Tyler said ‘yes.’”

Tyler said: “Some of the pros of living together include more quality time with my daughter and her getting to witness healthy relationships between us.

“There’s no awkwardness between us at all, except when we all bicker at TV time.

“My new partner is excited and wants to join the circus, she loves the dynamic and how much we’re willing to sacrifice for our kids.”

Michael said: “My parents divorced young, so I didn’t experience a complete family setting myself — but I always wished it for my own family someday.

“Even though this living situation is awkward to some, it fits us all for now.

“I feel good. My wife and her ex hurl at the sight of each other, sometimes, so I have nothing to worry about!

“I trust both of them and I love my wife with every bit of my soul.”

The National Assembly has urged the Supreme Court of Nigeria to dismiss the suit filed by 11 governors from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) challenging the declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State.