Commercial drivers and motorists plying the Long Bridge, OPIC, Kara to Berger route on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway in Ogun State have raised the alarm over alleged extortion and robberies by unauthorized revenue collectors along the highway.
According to reports, hoodlums posing as revenue collectors have turned the Long Bridge and other points along the road into money-making spots, exploiting motorists and commercial drivers by collecting illegal fees and stealing from passengers during traffic gridlocks or vehicle breakdowns.
Some commercial drivers who spoke with The Guardian at Kuto Garage, Abeokuta, expressed fear over possible attacks and theft of passengers’ phones and other valuables.
A commercial driver, Adekunle Ali, said, “We want the government and police to join hands together to deploy personnel on the road to secure drivers and passengers. If the security officials do so, they will be able to arrest those boys.
“Sometimes when there is traffic gridlock on the bridge, they take advantage of that moment to collect money from us and even steal from the passengers.
“We might want to take another route when there is heavy traffic gridlock, the next thing one will see is that those boys will block the road and ask us for money and also use the opportunity to steal phones and purses from the passengers.”
Another commercial driver, Abiodun Olatayo, condemned the illegal revenue collection and robberies, calling on the state government to find a lasting solution.
He said, “We pleaded with well-meaning Nigerians and the state government to find solutions to the issue. In fact, the government needs to deploy Amotekun security operatives because whenever the bus breaks down, the boys will not assist the driver but will beat some of the passengers and dispossess them of their valuables.”
The Executive Chairman of Ifo Local Council, Hon. Idris Kusimo, described the revenue collection as illegal, stressing that the council did not authorize the boys to collect money from motorists or commercial drivers.
Kusimo said, “I have published a public notice on the issue to the police. The LG authority did not ask them to collect money from anybody.
“I have also met the DPO of the particular areas. I was there yesterday. And when I got there I did not see them. I don’t know if they disappeared like ghosts because they are very observant when they see strange faces.
“But I promise, we are going to fish them out. I already have people around the places to watch them, and we are working with the police to arrest anyone of them.”
