NewStats: 3,262,159 , 8,176,269 topics. Date: Sunday, 01 June 2025 at 03:06 AM 6i30k

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 engers, who ultimately bear the financial burden.

“As long as the police continue to extort drivers, engers 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 ed 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 engers and move on. However, many of them have taken to waiting for longer periods to pick up engers, 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.

https://punchng.com/lagos-drivers-lament-police-extortion-as-taskforce-dislodges-traffic-offenders/

He build Lagos , he build Lagos nai be this

We are living in a very wicked world I swear. Two nights ago, I saw some policemen dragging, hitting and beating a Keke Napep driver trying to seize the keke from him, the guy was crying begging them not to arrest his Keke, those men in uniform were so mean. I really I wish I could him to beg but it is late and knowing what those men in black cloth could do. One was even threatening to fire the guy I just say a prayer for the rider and walk away.

Police is now operating official extortion department called e-cmr.

The money we are not making from being a productive economy, must be squeezed out somehow from every one. Smh

Task force wahala too much

Na Tinubu legacy and modus operandi be dat. To extort from the masses and settle his cronies.

Lagos wahala too much. Different kind of means of getting rich quickly. That's why the drivers dey harsh on the commuters.

:-

Why I can't rule out the extortion, I also believe those drivers are making those allegations up to continue their lawlessness.

You see that ikotun roundabout, the commercial drivers lawlessness and I don't care attitude needs a tougher handling.

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madridguy:
We are living in a very wicked world I swear. Two nights ago, I saw some policemen dragging, hitting and beating a Keke Napep driver trying to seize the keke from him, the guy was crying begging them not to arrest his Keke, those men in uniform were so mean. I really I wish I could him to beg but it is late and knowing what those men in black cloth could do. One was even threatening to fire the guy I just say a prayer for the rider and walk away.

...... and their grand patron is in presidency.

See as the thread is dry because some people's almighty Lagos is in the news for dirty reasons, change the state now to Anambra or Abia and you will think this thread is about an ongoing 3rd world war....

madridguy:
We are living in a very wicked world I swear. Two nights ago, I saw some policemen dragging, hitting and beating a Keke Napep driver trying to seize the keke from him, the guy was crying begging them not to arrest his Keke, those men in uniform were so mean. I really I wish I could him to beg but it is late and knowing what those men in black cloth could do. One was even threatening to fire the guy I just say a prayer for the rider and walk away.

Yeah yeah, thanks to people like you who have been voting and ing nonsense into power back to back, you don't love Nigerians so your pity is complete bullsheet to me...

You no want make police chop ni?

LASTMA Officers nor go die better

Realdeals:
Why I can't rule out the extortion, I also believe those drivers are making those allegations up to continue their lawlessness.

You see that ikotun roundabout, the commercial drivers lawlessness and I don't care attitude needs a tougher handling.

Seems like u are jjc in lagos... It's a known fact that motorist get extorted anyhow in lagos, nowhere in lagos is excluded...

IyaTola:
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Qualifications requirements?

IyaTola:
Staff are urgently needed in a Restaurant
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Accommodation is available
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Minimum wage is N70k, Iya Tola. You will pay for this name..

Your statements decipit the mentality of the "atoun rin wa" because that's how it been meant it shouldn't be condemned if wrong?

princetom1:


Seems like u are jjc in lagos... It's a known fact that motorist get extorted anyhow in lagos, nowhere in lagos is excluded...

Until they ban the activities of these miscreants called agberos, there's no peace!
Why can't government, use other means to collect revenue and see if there's going to be a difference?

madridguy:
We are living in a very wicked world I swear. Two nights ago, I saw some policemen dragging, hitting and beating a Keke Napep driver trying to seize the keke from him, the guy was crying begging them not to arrest his Keke, those men in uniform were so mean. I really I wish I could him to beg but it is late and knowing what those men in black cloth could do. One was even threatening to fire the guy I just say a prayer for the rider and walk away.

You can't help a brother in need. Most keke napep are APC.

NewHe:
Until they ban the activities of these miscreants called agberos, there's no peace!
Why can't government, use other means to collect revenue and see if there's going to be a difference?

Hamzat said they are their brothers, they can't send them away.

My own better small sef cos na only Night I dey use my Korope. I sabi manoeuvre myself Wella. Though, I dey encounter police sometimes sha. Na to just settle them with #200 and go my way. Hustling with commercial bus no easy for night sha, but as I be office man for day, na so I dey Hustle for night. I no dey pay Owo Olopa or Security to any Agbero for afternoon. Na to settle the Olopa direct. Lolzzzzzz.

But seriously, the truth is bitter.
The lawlessness of those commercial drivers and touts is due to the money they pay to Police.
Police don loose their respect for where these people dey.

Na who go stop them?

iwaeda:


Minimum wage is N70k, Iya Tola. You will pay for this name..

Koshi daanu quantify the feed it adds up to 70k

IFECHIGCON:
He build Lagos , he build Lagos nai be this

Find someone to build your own state and leave Lagos alone you loser.

hopexter:


Find someone to build your own state and leave Lagos alone you loser.

Stop gnashing your teeth under my comment

IFECHIGCON:

Stop gnashing your teeth under my comment

Illiterate I typed. Like I said, find someone to build your own state and leave Lagos alone you hypocrite.

hopexter:


Illiterate I typed. Like I said, find someone to build your own state and leave Lagos alone you hypocrite.

Once again stop gnashing your teeth under my comment, slaves

IyaTola:
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