9th September, 2024
The Lagos State Government, in collaboration with the Nigerian Police Force (NPF) and traffic management agencies, has announced a decisive move to clamp down on miscreants along the Tincan-Apapa Corridor following grievances raised by the Association of Maritime Truck Owners (AMATO).
The truck drivers reported incidents of assault, vandalism, and extortion along the corridor, prompting urgent action from the state.
Addressing truckers at the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) Annex Office in Marina, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Transportation, Sola Giwa, revealed that security and traffic agencies would begin raids from Tuesday to remove unauthorized personnel posing as traffic or security agents.
He condemned the extortion of truck drivers as economic sabotage, stressing that the 2018 State Transport Sector Reforms Law prohibits the collection of tolls on Lagos roads, especially from truckers operating along the Tincan-Apapa route.
Giwa reassured truckers that all issues, including vandalism and extortion, would be addressed in partnership with stakeholders such as the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN) and the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW).
He commended the truckers for uniting and emphasised that this coordination would facilitate smoother dialogue and problem resolution.
He also urged them to use the whistleblower app to report illegal activities, allowing the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) to act on real-time evidence.
DCP Tijani Fatai, representing the Commissioner of Police, echoed Giwa’s commitment, urging truckers to report incidents for immediate resolution.
The meeting concluded with an agreement to abrogate toll collection from truckers and ensure the police enforce the ban on illegal tolls.
The truckers, who had earlier planned a strike, suspended the action following these assurances.
Key stakeholders present at the meeting included representatives from the Nigerian Ports Authority, the Department of State Security, LASTMA General Manager Olalekan Bakare Oki, AMARTO Chairman Chief Remi Ogungbemi, NURTW Chairman Alhaji Mustapha Adekunle, and RTEAN Chairman Oba Sulaimon Adeshina Raji.