Some commercial bus drivers plying the Mowe-Ibafo-Arepo areas of Ogun State on Monday embarked on a protest against the alleged extortion by transport union workers.

The drivers lamented that multiple levies imposed on them had caused them significant hardship, stating that the transport union fare, a cumulative sum of N4000 per day, was increased to N6000 on Monday.

Some of the protesters asserted that the rise in fuel prices contributed to the challenges they were facing.
A driver told PUNCH that the extortion from the “agbero” had become unbearable, prompting their protest.
He said; “What we are experiencing from the agberos (levy collectors) has become unbearable. Today, we woke up to the news that the ticket fee has increased. Bus stops where we used to pay N100 have now increased to N200, and those where we paid N500 have gone up to N700.

“I spend no less than N100,000 on fuel every week, and passengers are also groaning and unwilling to pay enough to cover the cost of fuel. My children are at home because I cannot afford their school fees due to the decline in what I earn daily.”

Commercial drivers in Ilaro and its environs had recently also protested the multiplicity of “illegal” checkpoints on Ilaro-Obelle road, alleging that security operatives had created such as avenues to extort money from them.

The transporters had taken to major streets in Ilaro, Yewa South Local Government Area of Ogun State, as they parked their vehicles on the road.

The protest had brought about gridlock in the ancient city as the commercial drivers rained insults on officers of the Nigeria Customs Service and those of the Nigeria Police Force, calling them unprintable names.