A Special Assistant on Media to the Governor of Delta State, Sheriff Oborevwori, Billy Egbe, has condemned the increasing cases of extortion and violence allegedly carried out by touts, popularly known as agberos, in Lagos State.
In a statement posted on his official Facebook page on Friday, Egbe described the situation as a “national embarrassment,” warning that the menace has become a daily ordeal for road users across the state.
He lamented that the activities of the groups amount to harassment of hardworking Nigerians, as they position themselves at bus stops to extort commercial drivers and commuters under various pretenses.
Egbe particularly expressed outrage over a recent incident in which a dispatch rider was brutally assaulted and reportedly killed by an alleged transport union leader in Lagos Island.
“The extortion by agberos in Lagos is too much. It is a national embarrassment,” he wrote. “This killing is mindless and heartbreaking. But it is not just about this one incident; it is the same thing everywhere in Lagos. The harassment is too much. With due respect to the Yoruba nation, this tax-collector mentality has to stop.”
He stressed that urgent action must be taken to curb the menace and prevent further loss of lives, urging authorities to restore sanity to Lagos’ transport system.
