Motorists lament extortion of money on Lagos-Abeokuta road

Motorists plying Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway have expressed concern over the increasing number of police checkpoints on the road.Community News learnt that there were about six different police checkpoints on the road and these, motorists and passengers, lamented had been causing delay for people on the road.Apart from the check- points, it was gathered that potholes also contributed to traffic snarl on the expressway.Community News learnt that the Ogun State Police Command, following incessant clashes in motor parks in the state as a result of internal crisis within the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), mobilised its men to the area to maintain the peace, but instead of withdrawing into the barracks or stations, they have turned the expressway to goldmine, extorting money from motorists, both commercial and private.'We are calling on the Ogun State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Nicholas Duru, to act fast to save our people from extortion. We appreciate what they (policemen) did by dislodging the touts from the area, thus maintaining the peace, but we are not happy with the way they have turned the expressway to goldmine, collecting money from motorists. They usually cause serious hold-ups and as a result of the extortion, commercial drivers have been avoiding coming to our area', Alhaji Bayo Adeoye, a resident of Ijako in Ota Division, told Community News.Community News also learnt that the area mostly affected by the problem is the section of the expressway between Sango Ota and Ifo with about five checkpoints.Most of the residents who spoke to Community News lamented that the motorists have jacked up their transport fares because of the police check- points. 'We now have to pay more for transport, because the number of vehicles plying this section of the expressway has reduced drastically due to the presence of the police', Mrs. Taibat Ajoke told Community News.
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