N400,000 per truck: Maritime transporters threaten strike over ‘extortion’ in Lagos

• Demand disbandment of Lagos c’ttees, release of over 100 truck
• Lament charge per loaded truck
• Fuel scarcity looms as IPMAN readies for showdown over unpaid claims, impounded trucks

A coalition of maritime transport operators, including the Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO), Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) and Association of Maritime Truck Owners (AMATO) has issued a three-day ultimatum to the Lagos State Government demanding the immediate disbandment of two committees for alleged extortion and harassment of truck operators.

Simply known as NMA (representing the initials of the three unions), the coalition issued a notice of service withdrawal, yesterday, to the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC), Lagos State Governor, Commissioner of Police, Port Authority Police Command, Lagos State Commissioner for Transport and the Director, Department of State Services (DSS), Lagos State.

In the notice by the Secretary-General and available to The Guardian, NMA condemned the Lagos State Committee on Removal of Abandoned Vehicles and the Special Traffic Management Committee and Enforcement Team for “increasingly provocative and exploitative activities.”

According to the transport operators, these committees, which were initially established to ease traffic congestion around the Lagos ports, have left their mandate for arbitrary arrests and imposition of excessive penalties ranging from N200,000 to N400,000 per truck.

Also, the supply of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) may be disrupted next week as the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) issued a seven-day notice for industrial action over unpaid bridging claims and arrest of about 16 drivers and 20 trucks.

NMA further alleged that payments were being funnelled into private accounts instead of government coffers.

It cited a recent incident that involved trucks released from the Lillypond Pre-gate by the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), which were subsequently intercepted and impounded by committee members.

Some truck operators, according to the coalition, were reportedly forced to pay exorbitant fees, while others had their vehicles towed to undisclosed locations at additional cost.

The maritime transport operators’ ultimatum, which expires tomorrow, demanded the immediate disbandment of the Lagos State Committee on Removal of Abandoned Vehicles and the Special Traffic Management Committee and Enforcement Team.

It also demanded the unconditional release of all impounded trucks, warning that failure to meet the demands would result in immediate industrial action.
IPMAN called on President Bola Tinubu to intervene to avert fuel scarcity across the country from next week.

A communiqué issued at the end of depot chairmen’s meeting in Abuja, yesterday, said the unpaid N100 billion bridging claims destroyed their solvency and hampered their ability to continue the business.

According to the Chairman of IPMAN Depot Forum, Yahaya Alhassan, one year after their last demand as a forum for the payment of over N100 billion owed members in bridging and National Transportation Allowance (NTA) claims by the Nigerian Midstream Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), the management of NMDPRA has ignored the request.

“One of those promises was made by NMDPRA, at the stakeholders’ meeting convened on the eve of the last strike declared by NARTO. At that stakeholder’s meeting, NARTO listed these same IPMAN bridging claims as part of their demands before the strike was called off. NMDPRA promised to offset the bridging claims in 40 days even in the presence of the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, and the Director-General of DSS, Adeola Ajayi. However, 40 days have today become months with no hope of our payment,” he said.

The forum explained that nine Northern depots comprising Jos, Gusau, Minna, Suleja, Kaduna, Kano, Gombe, Yola and Maiduguri depots have become completely grounded over the lingering debt.

It stated that the debt is marketers’ money, which was deducted from them at the point of payments for products, to settle bridging allowances.

The forum called on its members nationwide to remain resolute and law-abiding, as it awaits a positive response from the government.

National President of NARTO, Yusuf Othman, told The Guardian that there was no possibility of loading except the Lagos government and Ministry of Transportation called for engagement and release of the arrested trucks and drivers.

He added that the drivers were being extorted as high as N500,000 and harassed physically.

“They have towed about 20 trucks, some are empty, some with fuel. They have arrested about 16 drivers. They kept them at Oshodi. So, in solidarity with other drivers and truck owners, we have withdrawn our services and would like the governor himself to intervene, because the task force of the Ministry of Transport in Lagos is harassing us.”

The Guardian checks revealed that some fuel stations around Egbe, Isolo and Egbeda axes of Lagos did not have the products, yesterday.

However, The Deputy Director, Public Affairs to Lagos State Ministry of Transportation, Bolanle Ogunlola, told The Guardian that enforcement of the e-call-up system commenced on January 24, 2025, with 10 trucks apprehended, but were later released as an act of goodwill by the state government, with assurance from the stakeholders to adjust by coming onboard the e-call up system.

She stressed that on February 21, 2025, 11 trucks were apprehended again for non-compliance, which led to an attack on the enforcement officers and the arrest of some suspects connected with the attack, adding that the suspects and trucks had all been released as further indication of government’s support for willful compliance.