A media aide to the Governor of Delta State, Sheriff Oborevwori, has decried the growing cases of extortion and violence linked to touts, popularly known as agberos, in Lagos State, describing the situation as a national embarrassment.

Billy Egbe, Special Assistant on Media, made the remarks in a statement on Friday through his official Facebook page while reacting to the death of a dispatch rider who was reportedly killed by a transport union leader in Lagos Island.

“The extortion by agberos in Lagos is too much. It is a national embarrassment,” Egbe said. “I complained about it in a post some time ago and some people thought I didn’t know what I was saying. But we see these things every day on the streets of Lagos.”

He expressed dismay at what he described as routine harassment of commercial drivers and commuters across the state, noting that touts had entrenched themselves at bus stops and motor parks where they demand illegal fees under different guises.

“This killing is mindless and heartbreaking,” he added. “But it is not just about this one incident; it is the same thing everywhere in Lagos. The harassment is too much. With due respect to the Yoruba nation, this tax-collector mentality has to stop.”

Egbe called for urgent measures to curb the menace, stressing that the failure to address the problem could lead to more violence and further erode public confidence in the transport system.