Drivers Protest Korokpe Ban, Agbero Extortion in Lagos
by Momodu Favour
Commercial drivers in Lagos on Wednesday staged protests across parts of the state over the ban on minibuses popularly known as Korokpe and the alleged extortion of motorists by touts along the Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway.
The drivers said the state government’s restriction on Korokpe operations had disrupted transport services and severely affected their livelihoods. They called for urgent dialogue with the authorities to review the directive and find a workable solution that would not cripple their daily operations.
The protest also spread to the Toll-Gate area of the Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway, where commercial bus drivers accused touts, popularly known as “Agbero,” of persistent harassment and extortion.
The demonstration left many commuters stranded, forcing several passengers to trek long distances to their destinations.
Economic activities around the Toll-Gate axis were disrupted as buses stayed off the road in solidarity with the protesting drivers.
Some of the protesters carried placards with inscriptions such as, “We are tired of Agberos extortion” and “We can’t continue working for Agberos.”
Mr Bimbo Apata, an employee of Lagos University Teaching Hospital, said he spent more than two hours at a bus stop without securing transportation.
“The suffering was too much. People had to trek several distances before they could get buses to their various destinations,” he said, urging the Lagos State Government to intervene swiftly to prevent the situation from escalating into violence.
Mrs Yemi Ajegunle, a trader at Oshodi Market, described the protest as unfortunate, noting that ordinary citizens were bearing the brunt of the standoff.
“I went to Abeokuta to buy goods. When we got to the Toll-Gate area, the protesters asked the driver to drop all passengers. We were stranded because we couldn’t move forward or return,” she said, appealing to authorities to restore calm in the area.
One of the protesters, Mr Sule Sanni, alleged that the drivers were protesting the activities of officials of the Lagos State Parks and Gardens Management Committee, led by Musiliu Akinsanya, popularly known as MC Oluomo.
According to Sanni, drivers pay between N10,000 and N15,000 daily to union officials, a situation he said was eroding their profit margins.
“Our profit is being eroded daily as they collect money from us at every bus stop. We will continue this protest until the government addresses the issue of agbero extortion and the alleged maltreatment of our members,” he said.
As of press time, there had been no official response from the Lagos State Government, but commuters and residents called for immediate intervention to restore normalcy and ease the hardship faced by the public.
