Drivers in the Iyana-Ipaja, Ikotun, and Berger areas of Lagos State have raised concerns over a new tactic deployed by the police to extort money from them.
This is just as officials of the Lagos State Taskforce dislodged drivers using the Iyana-Oworo lay-by as an unofficial park for transport activities.
PUNCH Metro correspondent, who monitored the situation in these areas on Wednesday, observed that police personnel stationed at these bus stops employed the services of louts, known locally as “agberos,” to extort money from the drivers.
It was observed that the louts would approach bus conductors to demand payments, often referred to as “owo olopa” or “owo security” on behalf of the police.
Speaking with our correspondent in separate interviews, on Wednesday, the drivers blamed the rising cost of transport in the state on multiple instances of extortion, including those by the police.
They alleged that the police had devised a new method of using louts as intermediaries to avoid being caught in the act of extortion.
A driver, Yemi Tajudeen, lamented that the extortions had forced drivers to increase fares to meet the financial demands of running their businesses. He also noted that failure to comply with the louts’ demands could result in their vehicles being impounded.
Tajudeen explained, “The level of extortion we face as drivers in Lagos is overwhelming. The police now use agberos to collect money from us. They have people who act as agents to collect the money, and if you refuse, they can impound your vehicle.
“We pay between N200 and N500 as “owo olopa” or “owo security” at most major bus stops. As business people, we have no choice but to factor this into the transport fares we charge. So, people shouldn’t blame us when fares are high.”
Another driver, identified as Kunle, noted that the actions of the police had compounded the hardship faced by passengers, who ultimately bear the financial burden.
“As long as the police continue to extort drivers, passengers will be the ones affected because we will include the money we pay to them (agberos and the police) in the fares we charge,” Kunle stated.
A driver in the Berger area, identified as Wale, urged the leadership of the Lagos State Police Command to address extortion of drivers by officers and to help restore public confidence in the force.
“I don’t like the police because the money I pay to them isn’t voluntary. After facing the dangers of driving on the highway, someone will sit somewhere and demand money for no reason, just because they have a gun and a uniform.
“The police authority needs to address this extortion problem among its officers so that people can begin to trust them again,” Wale emphasised.
When contacted for a reaction, the Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, was yet to reply to calls and messages sent to his line at the time of filing this report.
Meanwhile, the Lagos Taskforce has warned motorists to stop converting bus stops into unofficial parks for their transport operations.
The task force spokesperson, Raheem Gbadeyanka, while reacting to the operations in the Iyana-Oworo area, noted that using bus stops as parks violated Lagos State traffic laws.
In a telephone conversation with PUNCH Metro on Wednesday, Gbadeyanka stressed that illegal parks often contributed to worsening traffic situations across the state.
“What we did in Iyana-Oworo was to dislodge drivers who had turned the lay-by into a park. It’s not a park; drivers are only allowed to drop passengers and move on. However, many of them have taken to waiting for longer periods to pick up passengers, causing a gridlock in the area.
“It is against the Lagos traffic laws to convert a bus stop into a park. We are warning drivers to stop this practice as we will continue to enforce traffic regulations and restore order on Lagos highways,” Gbadeyanka warned.
