ASABA: Billy Egbe, Special Assistant on Media to Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, has raised alarm over what he described as the worsening culture of extortion and violence perpetrated by touts, popularly known as agberos, in Lagos State.
Egbe made the remarks in a strongly worded statement issued via his official Facebook page on Friday, following the tragic death of a dispatch rider reportedly killed by a transport union leader on Lagos Island.
The aide said the incident was not an isolated case but part of a long-standing problem of illegal levies, harassment, and intimidation that has become entrenched in the state’s transportation sector.
The extortion by agberos in Lagos is too much. It is a national embarrassment, Egbe declared. I raised this issue before, and some thought I was exaggerating. But we see these things daily drivers, riders, and even ordinary commuters are not spared.”
Egbe expressed outrage at the loss of life and described the dispatch rider’s killing as both mindless and heartbreaking.
He noted that beyond the immediate tragedy, the incident underscored a larger systemic issue: the unchecked activities of touts at bus stops, motor parks, and along major transport routes.
This is not just about one person being killed; it is about a culture of intimidation that thrives in broad daylight.
The harassment is too much. With due respect to the Yoruba nation, this tax-collector mentality has to stop,he added.
According to Egbe, Lagos, being Nigeria’s commercial capital and a gateway to international visitors, cannot afford to be associated with such lawlessness.
He described the constant harassment of transport workers and commuters as damaging to Nigeria’s global reputation, arguing that it paints the country as one where impunity is tolerated.
He further warned that if the menace is not urgently curtailed, it could escalate into widespread violence, discourage investments, and deepen distrust between citizens and authorities.
Egbe called on the Lagos State Government and security agencies to act decisively against the growing menace, stressing that tolerance for agbero-style extortion only erodes confidence in governance and the rule of law.
Government must send a clear message that this era of lawless extortion is over. If this continues unchecked, more lives will be lost, and the transport system will collapse under fear and violence,” he cautioned.
Widespread Public Concern
His statement has sparked renewed debate on social media, with many Nigerians sharing personal experiences of harassment at the hands of touts.
Commercial drivers, especially in Lagos Island, Oshodi, Ikorodu, and Mile 2, have long complained of daily levies running into thousands of naira, often collected under threat of violence.
Civil society groups have also repeatedly called for reform of transport unions and stricter enforcement of existing laws, but successive governments in Lagos have struggled to rein in the powerful transport unions accused of sheltering the touts.
Egbe’s intervention adds to growing calls for a holistic review of urban transport management in Nigeria.
Observers note that the situation in Lagos is gradually being replicated in other states, where smaller versions of the agbero culture are emerging in motor parks and highways.
He stressed that failure to address the issue would continue to claim innocent lives and weaken the foundation of Nigeria’s already fragile transport system.
This killing is a wake-up call. We cannot normalize extortion and brutality as part of our transport culture. Lagos must act, and the nation must pay attention,” he concluded.
