Clampdown On ‘Agberos’ Renewed In Lagos

A fresh crackdown on touts, popularly called agberos, who collect illegal dues outside motor parks has been reactivated by the Lagos State Task Force on Environmental and Special Offences (Enforcement Unit).

Speaking on Sunday, Task Force Chairman, Bayo Sulaiman, said since the state Road Traffic Law 2012 prohibits collection of dues by union members and others outside their parks, the task force had a duty to enforce it.

“The government will not allow miscreants to behave lawlessly. There is no room for miscreants and criminals in Lagos State because we will make life uncomfortable for them.”

According to Sulaiman, the task force arrested 46 agberos between Mile 12 and Agric Bus stop on Ikorodu Road, who were collecting illegal dues.

file: bus conductor and agbero fighting over illegal dues collection as police officer tries to quell the fight
file: bus conductor and agbero fighting over illegal dues collection as police officer tries to quell the fight

“Magistrate Jadesola Adeyemi of the Special Offences Court in Alausa sentenced the 46 miscreants to 50-hour community service for constituting an environmental menace.

“We believe that the punishment will serve as a deterrent to others who might want to constitute a menace to law-abiding Lagosians,” he said.

The task force boss said the unit’s officials had been going round the state in undercover vehicles to make it easy for them to nab violators of the traffic law.

“They (agberos) should stop collecting illegal dues from commercial vehicles outside the parks. They left the road before and are now back and we are after them,” Suleiman insisted.