Extortion: Lagos Task Force pockets N14m monthly from port users

Truckers struggling to gain access to the ports have lamented that they pay as much as N14m monthly to the Joint Security Task Force set up by the Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode.

The Joint Task Force comprising of the Police, security officials, Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) and the Federal Roads Safety Corps (FRSC) were set up by the Governor just to ensure a free flow of traffic and access into the ports.

This is even as the Lagos State Government declined knowledge of such extortion going on along the ports access roads. It, however, vowed to investigate the matter.

When the Nigerian Tribune visited the ports on Tuesday, trucks, and tankers were seen lining in an endless row along the Wharf road down across the Ijora bridge. Before our Correspondent left the ports on Tuesday, the queue had stretched as far as the Funsho Williams Avenue and was already emptying into Ikorodu road via the Jibowu overhead bridge.

Speaking to the Nigerian Tribune in an exclusive interview, one of the truck drivers, Abdulahi Ahmed, who claimed to have spent weeks sleeping on the road, said drivers and truck owners are being extorted N50,000 or more daily just to gain access into the ports.

According to him, “I have been here for almost three weeks now just because I want to go inside the port and drop an empty container. Some of my colleagues who were with me together on the road, but can afford N50,000, have been allowed to drive straight via one way into the port. All because people like me cannot afford N50,000, that’s why we are languishing on the road for weeks and months. On a daily basis, like 10 trucks are allowed into the ports after parting with N50,000 at night. The situation is that pathetic.”

When asked if the truckers association have not taken up the issue of extortion with the relevant authorities, Ahmed said truckers no longer believe in their leaders as many have compromised with the Joint Task Force operatives.

However, when Nigerian Tribune spoke with the Chairman of the Association of Maritime Truck Owners (AMATO), Chief Remi Ogungbemi, he explained that the situation is beyond the association, as most truckers voluntarily give bribes to the operatives of the Joint Task Force just to exit the ports.

In the words of Chief Ogungbemi, “extortion on truckers by the Joint Task Force operatives is not limited to the night alone. It also happens during the day, although it is very rampant at night. The situation is beyond the truckers. It is a battle that cannot be won because the infrastructure is not there.

“Our members beg the Joint Task Force with money just to leave the queue. Some have been in that queue for months, they can no longer help it, so they voluntarily approach the Joint Task Force with money just to leave the queue.

“It is a lost battle. Truckers cannot win because the infrastructure is not there. Our members beg the Task Force people with money. Sometimes, truckers chase the Joint Task Force operatives with money in hand.”

When asked why truckers chase Joint Task Force operatives with bribes, Ogungbemi stated: “Do you know what it means to spend almost a month on the road sleeping and waking up inside a truck? It is that pathetic. We as an association cannot help the situation because the infrastructure is not there. Our members have become pawns in the hands of the Joint Task Force operatives.

“Had it been the roads are free, it will be difficult for anybody to demand any amount from truckers. But the roads are not free. The infrastructures are not there. Our members beg Joint Task Force operated with bribes just to leave the queue and enter the ports. We are indeed in terrible times.”

When contacted, the Spokesman of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), Mahmud Abass explained that recent happenings have shown that other uniform men who come to Apapa for other motives are mostly responsible for the gale of extortion on hapless truck and tanker drivers

“The Governor set up a Special Joint Task Force to get rid of the menace of articulated vehicles in and around Apapa following the chaotic traffic gridlock caused by them, and LASTMA along with some other agencies are part of the committee.

“I want to tell you that such extortion claim is not possible by members of the Joint Task Force because of its leadership. However, extortion claim cannot be ruled out because of the activities of other uniform men who come to Apapa for other purposes.

“There were recent reports of is uniform men being picked up in Apapa for illegal activities. Our officials are not involved in extortion on truckers because after sending them there to be part of the Special Joint Task Force, we established a kind of surveillance system on their activities to monitor them over there in Apapa.

“Through this surveillance system, we have been able to monitor on daily basis the performance of our men in the Special Joint Task Force. So far, we have not received any negative report as regards the performance of our men in Apapa,” Mahmud Abass stated exclusively to Nigerian Tribune.

Also, when Nigerian Tribune got in touch with the Acting Commissioner of Transportation, Lagos State, Olanrewaju Elegushi, the Personal Assistant to the Commissioner, Mr. Seun Lawal who answered the call on behalf of the Commissioner declined knowledge of such extortion. “The Commissioner of Transportation, Lagos State is not aware of such extortion allegation along the ports access roads, but will definitely look into it,” Seun Lawal stated via telephone.

Telephone calls and text messages sent to the Chief Press Secretary (CPS) of the Lagos State Governor, Habib Aruna was not responded to as at the time of filing in this report.

It would be recalled that Governor Akinwunmi Ambode recently directed the Joint Security Taskforce comprising the Police, security officials, Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) and the Federal Roads Safety Corps (FRSC) to ensure a free flow of traffic and take back Apapa city from the gridlock.