Truckers operating at the nation’s ports have written an open letter to the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, to urgently intervene to checkmate the activities of miscreants extorting truck drivers, damaging their trucks and causing ghastly road accidents within the Lagos metropolis.
The truckers under the aegis of Amalgamation, an umbrella body of maritime trucking associations made the appeal following a truck accident in which a police inspector and two other people lost their lives at Trade Fair bridge along the Badagry Expressway in Lagos on Monday.
The letter signed by Ridwan Bello on behalf of the group, said the accident occured when miscreants were forcing and dragging the steering with the truck driver in order to forcefully collect money from him and in the process, the truck lost control and crushed three people to death.
The truckers urged the Lagos State government to enact law to criminalize the waylaying and extortion of trucks that are transiting the Lagos metropolis by miscreants.
The letter reads in part, “On the above subject matter, we write to passionately appeal for your urgent intervention to checkmate the multiple extortion, unimaginable terror and destructions that hoodlums are inflicting on we truckers on a daily basis in Lagos State.
“This appeal becomes very necessary in view of the recent ghastly truck accident that happened on 7th of November 2022 close to Trade Fair bridge along the Lagos Badagry express road in which one Police Inspector and two other people lost their lives when miscreants were forcing and dragging steering with the truck driver in order to collect money by force, which unfortunately in the process, the truck lost control and crushed three people to death.
“This ugly incident is only one out of many in the catalogue of extortion, violence, assault, injury, damage to truck and death that are being cause by these marauding hoodlums in which almost every truckers in the State is a direct and indirect victim of the harrowing menace and malaise they are putting we truckers in the State.
“In the light of the above complaints, we humbly and passionately request that you act as follows:-
1. Make law to criminalize the way-laying, ganging up on trucks and extorting of trucks that are transiting Lagos metropolis by miscreants.
2. That you kindly urge the Police and other law enforcement agencies to see it as part of their responsibility to intervene whenever they see street urchins maltreating truckers within the state metropolis, instead of showing no concern.
3. Ensure that the miscreants that caused the truck accidents at Trade Fair which claimed three lives of innocent Nigerians including a Police Inspector are brought to justice in order to serve as lesson and deterrent to other miscreants.
“Our requests at this moment become necessary as the presence of street urchins on Lagos road is forcing our drivers to abandon trucks which is killing our business. The banditry of these miscreants is forcing many logistics companies to close business and relocate from Lagos. Moreover, the presence of these hoodlums is not only a total disgrace and embarrassment to a populous and developed state like Lagos, but also a set back to Lagos State effort of attaining a mega city status. Hence, all the activities of hoodlums on our roads should be totally banned.
“As law abiding citizens, we deemed it fit to bring to your attention about these ugly trends that have taken over most of our roads in Lagos State and taking serious toll on our lives and business for your urgent intervention and solutions for peace and security in Lagos metropolis.
“In the absence of any solution to our problem, we will peacefully embark on a grand protest and withdrawal of our service to register our grievances to let the whole world know that our lives and business are imploding under the anarchy of miscreants on Lagos State roads.”
