Anger, lamentations as bus Drivers protest extortion, harassment of Taskforce in Lagos

Several commercial Drivers in Lagos, on Wednesday, took to the street to protest over alleged extortion and harassment by men of the Lagos State Motor Traffic Division (MTD) from Ministry of Transportation.

CRIMECHANNELS gathered that the aggrieved Drivers converged at the Omole/Agidigbin junction, at about 12pm.

The Drivers held placards baring different statement, one reads, ‘We are commercial Drivers, we are not thieves’, another reads, ‘help us! Stop extorting us’.

A Driver identified as Tunde lamented the continuous extortion of him and his colleagues by the task force.

He said, “I was forced to pay N50,000 for an offence I did not understand or commit. I was in traffic along Ogunusi road and suddenly they pounced on me alleging that I flouted traffic regulation. All entreaties by passengers that absolved me of any wrongdoing failed as they forced me into their office and collected N50,000 for no reason.”

“We are not opposed to their legitimate operations as a task force, “he added.

Another commercial Driver by the name of Samson Timothy appealed to the Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajde Sanwo-Olu to help mini-bus drivers remain in business.

He decried the way which the task force forcefully take money from them, he said it has become an embarrassment, that could not be tolerated any longer.

“How do I explain to the owner of the bus I drive that I paid N20,000 to the task force for no reason. Sometimes they mingle with passengers at bus stops to secure a seat. They will later hold the driver to ransom over charges no one could explain. This extortion must end in Lagos. We are tired because they are making more money than we realize daily, Mr Samson added.”