The Federal Government has mandated the Harmony Corps of Nigeria (HCN) to flush out touts from the nation’s highways in a bid to curb illegal taxes and levies that drive up food prices.
Prof. Kailani Muhammad, Chairman, Board of Trustees (BoT) of the corps, disclosed this on Thursday in Abuja at the Food Security Summit themed “Tracking the Transport Challenges Against Economic Development in Nigeria.”
He said the move was aimed at making food items cheaper by eliminating extortion on highways.
“We have thugs, criminals, crooks, touts on our roads collecting taxes and levies. These costs are always added to goods transported across the country, making food items costly. We are mandated by the government to clear them so that food can be cheap in the country,” Muhammad said.
According to him, the corps is already working with the police, army, DSS, and other security agencies to dismantle illegal checkpoints nationwide, including routes from Abuja to Lokoja, the Southwest, Southeast, South-south, Kaduna, Kano, and Maiduguri.
Muhammad added that HCN was setting up a control room to track trucks and ensure goods are delivered safely, on time, and without additional costs.
Elizabeth Omini, Founder and General of HCN, said the corps signed a Deed of Agreement with the Nigeria Association of Agricultural Products Dealers (NAAPD) to implement the mandate. She noted that the initiative would boost government revenue through legitimate taxation, reduce food prices, improve road safety, and enhance investor confidence.
Chief Charles Orji, BoT Chairman of NAAPD, also blamed multiple taxation for soaring food prices, accusing touts of extorting, harassing, and stealing from drivers. He said the Federal Government, through the Ministry of Agriculture, had empowered NAAPD to support the fight against such practices.
