Commercial bus drivers in Lagos State on Wednesday protested the high rate of extortion by motor park thugs popularly known as “agberos”.
For many years now commercial bus drivers and other road transport workers in Lagos have complained about extortion from motor park thugs organized under the “Road Transport Union (National Union of Road Transport Workers, NURTW)”.
These Agberos are quick to molest drivers and conductors including damaging their vehicles if their unjustified and outrageous demands are not instantly met.
This organized extortion has the backing of the government which led to the creation of the Lagos State Park Management Committee led by Musiliu Akinsanya, popularly known as MC Oluomo.
In a video circulating on social media, the commercial drivers could be seen protesting the alleged extortion by men of the motor parks and garages committee in Lagos.
Some of the protesters were seen carrying placards with various inscriptions, some of which read: “We are tired of Agberos extortion”, “We can’t continue working for Agberos”, among others.
The protesters also demanded a one-on-one meeting with MC Oluomo and Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo, to resolve the end to extortion, harassment, and intimidation of drivers by both state and non-state actors.
Watch the video below:
🇳🇬 HAPPENING NOW: Lagos Bus Conductors around Alakuko / Toll Gate Axis condemning Agbero and their exorbitant charges in Lagos.
Calls on one on one meeting with Sanwoolu and MC Oluomo. pic.twitter.com/zjQNwHRuva
— All Around Nigeria 🌍🇳🇬 (@AllAroundNGR) March 29, 2023
https://twitter.com/Awixy2/status/1641047982173716483?s=20
Video: Lagos commuters stranded as commercial drivers protest extortion by ‘agberos’
Credit: Instagram // Kemifilaniblog pic.twitter.com/MP7BXQdt9N
— Vanguard Newspapers (@vanguardngrnews) March 29, 2023
One of the voices said: "They said when Jagaban enters, they'll be in power. They said it's their power they're using now o."
The other voice added: "we're the ones who voted for them o."
Another said: Agberos have gone to call police and they're shooting us.
One person killed pic.twitter.com/HJHuqOVJAk
— Tigress (@Tigress29351380) March 29, 2023
Lagos bus drivers are complaining of mc oluomo agbero disturbing them
“They thought they were doing the igbos in Lagos?’😂😂
Bad governance doesn’t care about your tribe 💁🏽 pic.twitter.com/07M9XOnHeG
— Cici💛 (@Shez_Weird) March 29, 2023
Meanwhile, Nigerians on Twitter are also reacting to the news by the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority that bus fares in the state would be returning to 100%.