On Monday, commercial bus drivers operating in the Mowe-Ibafo-Arepo areas of Ogun State staged a protest against alleged extortion by transport union workers.
The drivers expressed their frustrations over the burden of multiple levies, claiming that their daily fees, which previously totaled N4,000, have now surged to N6,000. They highlighted that these increased costs have placed significant financial strain on their livelihoods.
Many protesters pointed to rising fuel prices as a contributing factor to their difficulties. One driver shared his concerns, stating that the actions of the “agberos” (levy collectors) had become intolerable. He noted, “Today, we learned that the ticket fees have gone up. Places where we used to pay N100 are now charging N200, and those where we paid N500 have increased to N700.”
He added, “I spend around N100,000 weekly on fuel, yet passengers are reluctant to pay fares that reflect these rising costs. I’m struggling to keep my children in school because my earnings have sharply declined.”
Earlier, drivers in Ilaro and surrounding areas had also protested against the numerous “illegal” checkpoints along the Ilaro-Obelle road, accusing security personnel of using these setups to extort money from them.
During their demonstration, drivers in Ilaro caused significant traffic disruptions as they parked their vehicles on the streets, vocally confronting officers from the Nigeria Customs Service and the Nigeria Police Force with harsh remarks.
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