The situation forced many passengers to abandon their vehicles and walk long distances to their destinations.
Men dressed in Nigerian military uniforms, along with others in civilian clothing, have been captured on video extorting motorists and causing traffic congestion along the Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway near Sango Ota in Ogun State.
The situation forced many passengers to abandon their vehicles and walk long distances to their destinations.
“This is the tollgate point along the Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway as it approaches Sango Ota in Ogun State. Some men in military uniforms alongside some men without uniform are causing traffic late at night at that spot,” the narrator in a video report stated.
“It is not known whether this collection is legally for the Nigerian military or by some random men in uniform just doing their own thing.”
He lamented that because of the traffic congestions caused by the military personnel and their associates in mufti, many passengers often get down from vehicle and start trekking to their respective destinations, “except for those who are going as far as maybe Ifo or Abeokuta, who have no option but to just remain sitting there in the traffic””
“They know what the cause of the problem is, but they’re just helpless. What can they do?” a voice added.
According to a video clip shared by Objectv Media, the incident usually happens during evening hours along Sango Ota, describing how the heavy traffic forced him to walk from as far as Ajegunle down to the toll gates.
“Observe that after getting tired in the traffic, many passengers would have to alight and start trekking from as far as Ajegunle down to the toll gates because they couldn’t cope with the traffic,” he said.
He lamented that upon reaching the front, they found “some men in military uniform stopping trailers and trucks to do some collections. The front is free. So there are. They’re the only cause of the traffic.”
He said, “(Many commuters) simply alight and continue to trek because they’re just helpless. Who would confront the situation?
“These are men in military uniform. It is at night, and they are walking with some boys you can’t even identify. It’s just more like accepting fate. So there’s the trekking. These are not Israelites. These are Lagosians and maybe with Ogunians. By that, I mean Ogun state residents.”
The narrator noted that initially, the presence of men in military uniforms was thought to be related to security operations along border areas like Idi-Iroko, but the practice has increasingly spilt onto the roads.
He added that on the opposite side of the road, heading from Ogun to Lagos at night, similar activity occurs.
“They could hit your vehicle if you don’t stop to comply. You know what I mean there,” he said.
Traffic on this side is usually lighter at night, as fewer people travel from Ogun to Lagos then. However, the other direction experiences heavy congestion due to many residents working in Lagos but living in Ogun.
The Objectv Media report also noted another location at Ujuri where the collection appeared to be more organised, with a stationed van and what seemed like new recruits being introduced for the collection process.
“I mean, this is the face of the person that brought the guy to them. I found that they are probably on the wrong shift. Revenue boys, road safety on one side,” the narrator said.
Further observations revealed “another man in khaki and maybe a vest on top still doing collection on the other side is a full time collection.”
“What I just don’t know is whether this is officially for the Nigerian military or maybe just some random boys wearing uniforms and doing their own collection,” the narrator concluded.
“It looks like every agency in Nigeria now has representatives on the road and doing collections for them. Which one is it though?”
The ongoing roadside collections have left commuters frustrated and concerned about the legality and safety of these activities on a major highway linking Ogun and Lagos states.
Leave a Reply