Pandemonium as drivers protest killing, extortion of members by police in Lagos

By Christopher Oji and Brown Chimezie

There was pandemonium yesterday in Lagos as commercial bus drivers took to the streets at Igando and Ikotun areas of the state over the alleged killing of a driver by officials of the State Environmental and Enforcement and Special Offences Unit (Taskforce).

The drivers also protested alleged extortion of their members  by Task force officials and called on the State Government to wade into the matter.

Many people sustained injuries during the protest that was hijacked by hoodlums. The deceased was allegedly killed by the officials who were said to be in the area for the enforcement of law.

The  commercial bus drivers blocked the LASU-Igando road to protest the killing of the  driver. Also joined in the protest were  street urchins who used the situation to unleash terror on innocent passersby.

The angry drivers blocked the ever busy road for hours, an action which caused heavy traffic that obstructed vehicular movement along Idimu-LASU road. Commercial and human movements were also grounded as traders hastily locked up  their shops for fear of possible attack and looting of their shops by hoodlums.

“We are tired of the frequent killing of drivers by taskforce officials who under the guise of enforcing state traffic law become lord over others. They are wild and reckless. The state government should as a matter of urgency create an active feedback-complaint system to address those who have been victimized in the past” a commercial bus driver, Tochukwu Alozie, said.

The protesters also  used the opportunity to protest what they alleged as extortion by  Task force officials.Some of the commuters, who spoke with Daily Sun, along Iba-Igando Road expressed solidarity with the protesting commercial drivers, calling on the state government to intervene and call  Task force to order.