MOGADISHU (Kaab TV) – A group of young motorcycle taxi riders staged a protest in Mogadishu on Tuesday, blocking the busy KM4 road to denounce what they described as harassment and extortion by plainclothes officers from the National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA).
The protesters claimed that NISA operatives have been closing key roads across the capital, making it difficult for them to operate.
They also accused the officers of demanding bribes at checkpoints, further disrupting their ability to earn a living.
Abdi Ibrahim Adan, chairman of the Motorcycle Riders’ Youth Association, said the riders are calling for justice, freedom of movement, and an end to what they see as unlawful practices.
“We want justice and the right to move safely through all roads. We are not asking for favors—just to be allowed to work in peace,” Abdi Ibrahim told Kaab TV.
The demonstration caused major traffic disruptions in the KM4 area, one of the city’s most critical junctions.
Despite widespread youth unemployment, many of the protesters said they had chosen to work and contribute to the economy, rather than migrate or resort to crime.
However, they said continued interference by NISA forces is making their lives increasingly difficult.
“We use these motorcycles to support our families. No one gives us anything. We just want to be protected from NISA officers who extort us,” said one of the riders.
Some reported that they had taken out loans to purchase their motorcycles and spent large sums on road taxes and licenses—yet still face constant demands for bribes.
As of Wednesday morning, neither the Banadir regional administration nor the Mogadishu municipal government had issued any statement in response to the protest or the riders’ complaints.