NewStats: 3,261,145 , 8,173,167 topics. Date: Wednesday, 28 May 2025 at 10:55 AM 651e3s

A viral video circulated on Instagram on Friday showing a motorist lamenting as men in police uniforms seized her car for allegedly driving on the Bus Rapid Transit lane in the Ikorodu area of Lagos.

Driving on the BRT corridor is a serious traffic offence in Lagos State that attracts a fine of N70,000.

In the viral clip, the officers tied the woman’s vehicle to a van and attempted to tow it.

Nearly in tears, the motorist pleaded with Nigerians to intervene and stop the officers from removing her car.

“I was not on the BRT lane! I am begging you. I will die! This motor cannot tow my vehicle. I am begging the whole of Nigeria to help me!” she cried.

Her pleas, however, fell on deaf ears as one of the officers was heard ordering a driver to proceed with towing the car.

Still, the woman stood her ground.

“This motor cannot tow my vehicle. I am not on the BRT lane. My daughter’s convocation is today! Officers, you are wicked. What is my offence?” she screamed.

Netizens, who reacted to the video, claimed there was no sign indicating that the road was designated for BRT buses.

“This is my area. There is nothing she can do. The day it happened to us, I begged these people endlessly with my baby on my back. But when it was getting late, nobody had to tell us to pay N70,000—we even had to borrow the money. It was really a painful experience. Honestly, there is no signpost there,” a netizen, identified as @dbdelight_snacks, wrote.

Observers noted that the woman’s ordeal exemplifies how officers, believed to be from the police, the Lagos State Metropolitan Area Transport Authority, and other non-state actors, exploit the absence of clear road signs to make life difficult for motorists and private vehicle owners in Lagos daily.

Findings by Sunday PUNCH revealed that some of the hotspots for extortion in the state include bus terminals around Ikorodu, Oshodi, Obalende, Yaba, Oyingbo, Mile 2, the Aswani area/7&8 on Airport Road, Anthony, and certain sections of the Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway, including Ile Epo and Pleasure bus stops.

A visit to some of the locations on Thursday showed the absence of road signs distinguishing the lanes designated for BRT buses from those meant for other vehicles.

Despite the missing road signs, officers in police uniforms were observed stopping vehicles on the unmarked roads for traffic violations.


According to residents, visitors and people who may not be familiar with Lagos routes often mistakenly drive into the BRT lanes. Such drivers are allegedly extorted by security operatives.

Some activists argued that the absence of proper signposts has fueled extortion on many roads in the state. They noted that unmarked BRT lanes, one-way roads, and diverted routes have become traps for unsuspecting travellers.

A journalist cum activist, Segun O’Law, launched a campaign on Tuesday at Super Bus Stop, Oke Odo, in the Agege Local Government Area of the state in response to outcry over police extortion in the community.

In a video posted by O’Law on social media and seen by our correspondent, there is no warning sign for motorists to steer clear of the BRT lane.

While Segun was decrying how drivers usually fell victim to extortionate state agents, a motorist was captured driving into the forbidden side of the road.

After being warned, the driver reversed and took the other side of the road.

“A victim recently told me that he and two friends were driving in a convoy, following one another. The police arrested all three at the same time, collecting N70,000 each—N210,000 in total. This happened less than a month ago, and we receive reports like this daily. We got fed up and realised this seemed like a deliberate trap for unsuspecting commuters and drivers.


“The state government created lanes on federal roads and failed to put up any signs. Instead, they deployed officers to extort Nigerians. Why can’t the state government simply install a signpost that says ‘BRT Only’ beside the road for all to see? Isn’t that cheaper than placing a monitoring team to extort people?” Segun said.

Also, a netizen identified as Joseph Akinade, wrote on X, “I was just in Nigeria and was extorted by the police every time I plied the Super/Ile Epo route—not even the BRT lane but another road leading to the Agege/Pen Cinema bridge. They are always on both sides of the uneven roads. In a month, I gave over N30,000 without committing any offence—just from listening to them begging for money.”

A shop owner at Pleasure Bus Stop, who identified himself only as Emeka, said officers often exploited the lack of traffic signs on diverted sections of the road to extort unsuspecting motorists.

He said, “The officers claim there is a diversion, but as you can see, there is no evidence or sign to indicate that. Yet, they keep harassing people—even while armed. They hide at a corner on Sholabunmi Crescent Road before the bus stop and arrest any vehicle that crosses the supposed diversion to the other side. They charge motorists between N200,000 and N300,000 before releasing them.

“Just yesterday, a woman was rushing to take her sick mother to the hospital and unknowingly entered Crescent Road. But the officers stopped the vehicle and took all of them, including the sick woman, to Alausa.”

Similarly, a resident, Olayinka Aremu, popularly known as Omo Iya Adura, said officers usually arrived at the location as early as 7.30am.

“They park their vehicles on Crescent Road, and once they spot any car crossing the diversion, they move quickly to double-cross it. Sometimes, one of them wears a police uniform, while the others are in plain clothes. They are not even targeting vehicles driving on the BRT lane—just any car that crosses the diversion. This is what we witness here every day, and it is worrisome,” Aremu said.


Sunday PUNCH observed how some officers, under the pretext of conducting routine checks, extorted money from motorists in the area.

A tricycle driver, who begged to be reported anonymously for fear of victimisation, said extortion was commonplace at the 7&8 Bus Stop area.

“Na normal thing for here o. Sometimes, they claim you drove against traffic, and other times, they just stop you and demand money. This happens every day, and the officers are always in uniform. Even regular commuters know they must ‘drop something’ for the police,” he stated.

Prominent human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, told Sunday PUNCH that political thugs usually took advantage of the absence of road signs to extort money from motorists.

“Those extorting drivers are not just public officers. They are also thugs of the government. And the local governments are helpless in dealing with them,” Falana said.

According to him, about N100bn is collected annually in Lagos through this scheme, identifying Oshodi as one of the state’s extortion hotspots.

“They collect over N100bn per year—enough to fix the roads. In Oshodi, they arrest people indiscriminately. Go there, and you’ll see vehicles, including those belonging to people who have no other job but kabukabu. We drive on the road too, but where are the road signs?” the Senior Advocate of Nigeria questioned.

https://punchng.com/extortion-traps-how-policemen-govt-agents-turn-lagos-roads-to-daily-nightmares/

Ok

He said during the last election, the state government temporarily suspended the indiscriminate arrests and released impounded vehicles to their owners “because they knew the action was unjust.”

“Look at another issue in Lagos—how many houses have numbers? Haven’t you had that experience where you’re searching for an address but can’t find any house numbers on the street? You keep driving around in circles. Yet, they claim Lagos is working. How is it working?” he added.

Reacting, the Lagos State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso, denied the allegations, noting that the BRT lanes were well demarcated from other routes in the state.

He said, “I drive on Lagos roads every day. I don’t through the BRT lanes because they are well-demarcated and clearly visible to everybody. What other signs are you looking for? Everybody knows a bus lane. They are well-demarcated with concrete. So what are we talking about? And for someone to accuse the government of removing the signs doesn’t sound sensible.”

When pressed on the absence of signs on some roads in the state, he said, “I that there is a special unit in the Ministry of Transportation that is in charge of road signposts, and they are alive to their duties. I see signs every day. I know that they get vandalised by people, but as soon as the ministry finds out, they re-erect the signs.”

The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, did not answer calls or respond to a WhatsApp message sent to him on the matter on Friday.

Itesiwaju Eko.

Acekidc4:
Ok

Now police will be on your roads, even some will , you know the implications.

Daymares actually.

A time will come Endsars will be child's play.

Let Tinubu and his cohorts keep up the good work. They will get their deserts soonest

Southern Unity is Dead

If Kemi Badenoch talks now, the vultures of babablu will start attacking her.

Barracks police station along mile 2 to badagry express way ,the police and agboro have turn the road to nightmare

Oftentimes, the road signs are purposely not clearly marked or totally absent, so that motorists will fall into their trap & be extorted.

All they know is tax, extort, collect, grab
That's how they generate revenue

Nigerians are used to ing through hell. It's an embedded nature.

That's why horrible things happen to them.

Agberocracy begets all manner of societal ills

The extortion is too much

Nigerians Should speak out

police is no longer interested in fighting criminals on the road but extort money from motorists

Are the police also politicians?

Should all the Nigeria problems be blamed on the politicians?

xpressionx:
Agberocracy begets all manner of societal ills

Egbetokun the illegal IGP is the worst of them all

But we must all speak out

If you've ever been a victim of LASTMA, police, VIO, FRSC...etc. You know how evil and demonic they can be.

Truth be told, there's a particular BRT lane coming down from a bridge around mile 12 going to Ikorodu, if one doesn't slow down, one would land directly on the BRT lane.

The signpost was placed at the very top of the road such that when you are descending the bridge, it can't hardly be noticed.

The funny thing is, the taskforce guys are stationed just by the other end of the BRT lane that connects back to the normal lane, so they can apprehend unsuspecting motorists.

It's crazy how we had to part with about 60k and following week, a colleague had same issue.

Also, they need to stop entering people's car to drive. You don't know my car or what I have inside, yet you rush in to drive my car to your office. Na to dae carry my Rottweiler for back seat remain.

anyone that tells me he wants to police; i always say to the person, criminology is in your blood.you are just looking for a way to get lincence to steal

This is fvcked up!
When will Nigerians understand that this country has been sold out?

Even where there are road signs, they are hidden far away from view of the driver.

Lagos Island by officers mess, with LAWMA officials extorting citizens there. Jibowu area. A lot of times you are afraid to drive your car because of these evil people in Police, FRSC, LAWMA and VIO uniforms.

Agberos

During elections in the Lagoon they will be used to snatch & grab ballot boxes & break the heads of those that looks like our neigbours from the East on election day

Agberos understand only the language of snatch & grab & if you ever think anybody will do anything against it, you deceive yourself. As löng as their godfather of agberoism has the State in his pocket

They are assets for the bullion van during election

All of them are out to extort motorists.. VIO, road safety, police, LASTMA. They are all criminals in uniform

The best among them to have altercations with is the police.. Those ones no too get issue

This happened to me last week tiesday on ikorodu road and I Was given a 70k fine to pay. I tried arguing and telling them no one will enter a BRT lane on pirpose when there is no traffic on the non BRT lane. The picture of my vehicle on the lane they snapped sef was from a far distance and also its just a tyre still on d lane as i was already exiting the lane before they snapped it cos i just decended from the bridge. They kept telling me to go to court but hope i kno Court may last over a month and my vehicle will be impounded till the outcome of courr judgement. After hearing all these at their ketu office, it became obvious they just use all theses spots to exhort money from Motorists. I met over 10 people at their office that day, all caught at the same spot ikorodu road for same offence of entering BRT lane so obviously that place is their cash cow and the govt is using it to make money.

All those forests and farms in d north needs police checkpoints. Sambissa forest needs checkpoint. VIO Popo and lastma make them redeploy them for emergency security work for there. Rubbish nation and leaders

When Kemi exposed all these ills, some mugu wants to kill her on social media.
Its not only Police, its everywhere. Inspectors from ministry of Education will exthort money from private schools owners for doing thier job,
The reason why all continues to glare of the public, its because they are only able to their superiors who sent them for such collections.

Shebi they said police can jump fence and enter someone's compound.

Besides they need to generate funds for things like stationary and refreshments

Honestly all these security agents are becoming useless.

Imagine reporting a crime to Ndlea and instead of them to do the needful they are asking you if they're police.

They even bing ethnic slurs to it. It's only to extort money they all agree it's their work

The day I drove into BRT lane along ikeja-Oshodi road 😹😹😹 a funny experience. Right there on the spot, LASTMA guys released some vehicles and they focused on me, they took me to their office at PWD, my car was ticketed. Official fine was 70k, but I ended up paying about 92-93k before I could get my car out.

The funniest thing was, there was a LASTMA officer at the entrance of the lane who could have stood for me coz I didn’t enter the lane on purpose.