Business drivers and commuters utilizing the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway have bemoaned the gridlock caused by the illicit barricades mounted by a few men and officers of the Nigerian Army on the two sides of the interstate, inverse the Deeper Life Conference Center.
It was learnt that the troopers, who had prior mounted the barriers at the Oremeji end of the road, as of late moved them to the Deeper Life end.
It was assembled that the officers for the most part worked between 9pm to 5am consistently to blackmail cash from drivers.
Our journalist, who was on a transport on Thursday and Friday, saw as the troopers blocked the two sides of the freeway.
They opened a path on the two sides, as they blackmailed cash from business drivers and truck drivers.
The activity backed off movement.
A few drivers and travelers, who addressed news men, bemoaned the impact of the blackmail on the movement.
A driver, who distinguished himself just as Baba Ibadan, bemoaned how the warriors as a rule blackmailed cash from him whenever he passed the street.
He stated, “As drivers utilizing the Mowe-Ibafo course, we are worn out on the movement caused by these warriors during the evening. They were at the Ascon Filling Station end of the street before they moved to Deeper Life to cause this gridlock.
“When we assumed burn through 20 minutes out and about, we spend around two hours in view of the activity.
“When you get to where they will be, they will approach you for cash and on the off chance that you don’t give them, that implies you are not prepared to go. They will let you know completely the sum they need to gather; they once instructed me to give them N200.
“We can’t contend with them in view of their outfits and firearms. We ask the administration to alert them; they should leave the street.”
Another transport driver, Kehinde, guaranteed that the warriors did not exasperate private auto proprietors.
He stated, “They don’t irritate private auto proprietors; they all in all gather cash from business transports and truck drivers.
“They stop us since they know they will without a doubt get cash from us and there is nothing we can do about it. Since we don’t need them to irritate our work, we pay them whatever they request.
“The troopers are the reason for the gridlock on this road. Where we gathered go for a few treks, we can just go on one excursion. Around evening time, we spend more than three hours in rush hour gridlock.”
A driver, who utilized the Ketu-Mowe course and gave his name basically as Olatunbosun, said whenever he chose not to give the fighters cash, he would be postponed, including that protests from his travelers typically made him to surrender to their request.
He stated, “The activity caused by the officers is influencing my work; it bothers everyone going through the interstate. Any day I concluded that I would not give them cash, they would request that I stop my transport by the roadside.
“Now and again, they gather N100 from me. Be that as it may, they gather somewhere in the range of N500 and N1,000 from truck drivers. The warriors are after cash. Regardless of whether there is a crisis, its absolutely impossible an emergency vehicle will go through on the grounds that activity is dependably on the two sides of the street.”
The Secretary of the Ketu-Mile 12 section of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, Lukman Owotutu, said the officers, who were intended to ensure the residents, were just securing their pockets.
He stated, “They ensure just their stashes; they bother business transport and truck drivers and cause activity, which is influencing our work.
“When it influences our work, the drivers take it out on the travelers by expanding the vehicle admission. At the point when there is no transport that will take them, the suburbanites will be compelled to enter the transports they see.
“Aside from the officers causing activity, the engine stop young men at Asese transport stop are likewise intensifying the issue. We need the administration to go to our guide.”
A few travelers who addressed PUNCH Metro bemoaned the time squandered out and about and the expansion in transport passages.
One of the travelers, who distinguished herself as Iya Adija, mourned the expansion in transport tolls.
She stated, “The legislature should assist us with sending these warriors back to the encampment since we can’t proceed with like this. From Ketu to Mowe that we used to pay N150 or N200 for, is presently N300 and when it is late, you will pay N500 as transport toll.
“Since this movement began, I don’t close late once more. Notwithstanding that, I spend near three hours in rush hour gridlock.”
Another traveler, who did not recognize herself heaved reviles on the troopers, including that they exacerbated the gridlock caused by progressing development take a shot at the freeway.
A private auto proprietor, Tayo Popoola, charged that Nigerian officers were presently carrying on like the police.
He stated, “The troopers expedite hardship the general population remaining around there. You can envision the quantity of hours that drivers spend out and about for a separation that isn’t up to five kilometers.
“They are to give security to subjects instead of coercing cash from them. Tragically that Nigerian warriors are similarly carrying on like Nigerian policemen.
“Blackmail used to be a police undertaking previously, now it has reached out to fighters. This is one reason we are supporting that warriors ought not be associated with common issues since it can degenerate them and once they are degenerate, it tends to be similarly perilous to our majority rules system. They have no business out and about.
“Since the administration realizes that it needs to repair the street, it ought to have put the Ikorodu-Sagamu street fit as a fiddle for individuals to utilize. Drivers would have taken that zone as opposed to putting weight on the road.
“The legislature should discharge cash to Julius Berger to finish the street and give the firm a final offer to complete the development in great time with the goal that this agony will be a relic of times gone by.
“They ought to likewise expel the warriors; let them leave this place and return to the sleeping quarters. They should leave police work for policemen to deal with.”
The Army Public Relations Officer, 81 Division, Lt. Col. Olaolu Daudu, guaranteed to research the affirmations.
He stated, “Troopers are professionally prepared to complete their sacred part, I am not mindful of this illicit movement. Be that as it may, we will research the affirmations since we are not in any case beyond any doubt in the event that they are warriors in any case since officers are taught.
“We need general society to realize that we have an exceptionally regimental trained armed force; in the event that we discover that they are completing this unlawful movement, we will manage them in like manner.
