Apapa Transporters protest against extortion; accuse LASTMA, NPA, Police, others of running rackets

Transporters in Apapa area of Lagos are protesting what they describe as continued extortion by uniformed personnel in the area 

They identified agencies including Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), Eto ticket coordinators, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and men of the Nigeria Police as being responsible for the act which they say is getting out of hand.

 A transporter who spoke to our correspondence Mr. Ndubusi Jacob said they organised the peaceful protest due to what they are going through in Apapa from the hands of LASTMA, Police, Eto ticket agents and other uniformed men. He notes that they are being exploited before they can access the Port to carry out their daily jobs.

Mr. Ndubusi said this uniformed men beat up their drivers, destroy their trucks and extort them. He said a taskforce should be set up among the transporters themselves to find a lasting solution to the problems.

Another transporter Mr. Friday Paul said that the protest is all about Eto ticket, They alleged that, Eto ticket which was N18,000 before, that some Eto agents are selling the tickets  between #40, 000 and #50,000 respectively, as the drivers cannot access the Eto ticket application from their phones anymore. He said they pick up jobs for #140,000 but by the time they settle all expenses more than half of whatever they make daily goes in various forms of "settlement" for area boys, LASTMA, policemen and other uniformed personnel in and outside Apapa.

 

The protest which lasted for 3 hours with blockage of the roads that leads to the Port by transporters and drivers, the coordinators of the protest said they will be at Eleganza roundabout at Apapa for 3 days, to wait for the agencies concerned to respond, and if they don't resolve the issues, they will be forced to block the whole of Lagos State from Toll gate, Lagos Ibadan express way.

They urge Lagos State government and Federal Ministry of transportation to come to their aid as they can't maintain their trucks, go home to their families and also save money for themselves.