Commercial bus drivers on the Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway started a protest on Wednesday against extortion by so-called “Agbero” touts at the Toll-Gate portion of the motorway.
The demonstration was regrettable since it caused undue agony and suffering to the populace, stranded commuters told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ota.
The Toll-gate sector of the Lagos-Abeokuta highway has reportedly been hit hard by the demonstration, with travellers having to walk considerable distances to reach their destinations.
Some of the demonstrators were also carrying signs reading, “We are tired of Agberos extortion,” “We can’t continue working for Agberos,” and similar phrases.
Mr. Bimbo Apata, an employee of the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, reported that he had waited for more than two hours at the bus stop without success.
According to Apata, he couldn’t avoid hiking if he wanted to make it to work on time.
“There was just too much pain. They had to walk long distances to reach where they needed to go since there were no buses available,” he claimed.
Before the demonstration escalated into violence and the lives of innocent people were lost, Apata pleaded with the administration of Lagos State to take action immediately.
The commercial bus drivers’ protest was “uncalled for,” as one passenger put it.
She claimed that ordinary people, rather than those in positions of power, will be adversely affected.
Ajegunle, a vendor at Oshodi Market, stated that when the bus she was riding on reached the Toll-gate area, the demonstrators demanded that the driver let everyone out.
Because we can’t turn back and advance at the same time, we were all trapped.
Several of us, especially those of us who weren’t carrying too much, began walking,” she explained
Ajegunle demanded that all relevant authorities work together to end the standoff so that calm could be restored in the area.
Commercial bus drivers in Lagos, according to Mr. Sule Sanni, a protester, are upset with the actions of Musiliu Akinsanya, also known as MC Oluomo, and his team in the Lagos State Park and Gardens.
Sanni promised that the demonstrations would continue until the government took action to stop the extortion and mistreatment of ‘agberos’ members.
He said the daily payments to the union ranged from N10,000 to N15,000, and that the new situation was having a detrimental impact on them.
They’re taking money from us at every bus stop, and it’s eating into our profit margin, he added.
