Stop Motor Park Touts Now, Nigerians Tell Government

Commercial drivers and commuters across Nigeria have raised concerns over what they describe as rising extortion by touts, popularly known as “agberos,” who operate at motor parks and major highways across the country.
From Lagos to Kano, Abuja to Port Harcourt, drivers complain that daily levies demanded by touts affiliated with unions or local authorities are crippling their earnings and fuelling higher transport costs for commuters.
“I pay between N10,000 and N12,000 every day to different groups before I can operate freely. By the time you add fuel and repairs, there is little or nothing left to take home,” said Ibrahim Musa, a commercial driver in Abuja.
“If you want to calculate how much we spend daily to settle agberos and police on a daily basis you will get frustrated and not want to do the job,” said Segun Adenuga, a bus driver that plies the Iyana Iba/Iyana Ipaja Road in Lagos. “It hurts to find yourself working all day and submit a substantial amount to people who simply claim to be owners of the land,” Adenuga added.
The activities of touts cut across the entire gamut of the commercial transportation sector, from container laden trucks at night to motorcycles. Abdulahi, who conveys goods from Agbara in Ogun State to Ibadan, said he spends as much as N25,000 for every trip he makes, with the lion’s share going to touts in Lagos, who go about their activities 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. He said from Berger at the outskirts of Lagos to Agbara, trucks come across as many as 15 “extortion points” where they pay between N1,000 and N3,000 every point.
The managing director of a company that operates in the industrial hub of Agbara in Ogun State, who pled anonymity, told this medium that conveying a container of raw materials from Apapa Port in Lagos to Agbara could cost his company up to N700,000, owing to the activities of the non-state actors. These costs are without a doubt passed to the end consumers of the goods produced by the manufacturing companies.
In the same vein, commuters argue that the financial burden placed on drivers is ultimately transferred to passengers through increased fares. “We are the ones suffering in the end. Transport fares are rising daily, and part of the problem is these illegal payments,” said Lagos-based commuter, Chidinma Okafor.
For some drivers, the harassment goes beyond money. “If you refuse to pay, they will smash your windscreen or remove your side mirrors,” lamented Sani Mohammed, an Abuja-based driver. “It feels like we are working for them, not for ourselves.”
In Port Harcourt, commuters say insecurity is becoming a bigger concern. “The parks are chaotic, and these touts intimidate passengers as well,” noted a student, Amara Nwankwo. “You are not sure if you are paying the right fare or if you are being forced to pay extra,” she said.
In Lagos, the issue has been particularly pronounced. One union leader in Lagos, speaking anonymously, estimates that touts collect more than N100 billion annually from informal levies imposed on drivers in Lagos. Stakeholders argue that these funds rarely translate into better infrastructure or services.
Transport unions have long been accused of enabling the system, with drivers forced to pay multiple levies at motor parks, checkpoints, and even while on the road. In most cases, failure to comply leads to harassment, vehicle damage, or loss of operating rights.
Experts warn that the growing extortion has both economic and social consequences. “The unregulated activities of touts discourage formal investment in the transport sector, worsen insecurity at motor parks, and inflate costs for ordinary Nigerians,” noted a former minister of state for transportation at a stakeholders’ meeting, Prince Ademola Adegoroye. “The government must move towards proper regulation and formalisation of park operations if the sector is to contribute meaningfully to the economy,” cited financial economist at Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Dr. Felix Echekoba.
Civil society organisations have also called for reform. According to the Centre for Justice and Peace, a non-governmental organisation (NGO), the informal revenue collection system erodes public trust and limits transparency. “If government agencies took over direct revenue collection, it would reduce leakages, enhance accountability, and protect drivers from daily harassment,” the NGO said in a statement.
Even law enforcement officers admit the system creates disorder. “We often arrest drivers for traffic offences, but when you look closer, many of them are victims of multiple illegal charges by touts,” a senior police officer in Lagos told our reporter anonymously. “This is why you see so much tension on the roads,” he stated.
Drivers’ unions, while acknowledging the challenges, insist that regulation rather than outright abolition of their activities is key. “What we need is proper government oversight to ensure levies are standardised and receipts are issued. That way, drivers will know exactly what they are paying for, and commuters will not bear unfair costs,” said Sunday Ogunleye, a union representative in Ota, Ogun State.
Ordinary Nigerians are also lending their voices. “Government should introduce modern ticketing systems like e-payments at motor parks, just like BRT in Lagos. That way, drivers and passengers will have clarity, and nobody will pocket money illegally,” suggested civil servant Maryam Dennis in Port Harcourt.
As the situation worsens, many Nigerians are urging both federal and state governments to intervene by introducing clear policies, modern ticketing systems, and stricter enforcement against illegal collections.
For now, drivers and commuters say the extortion remains a daily reality that continues to strain their livelihoods and deepen the cost-of-living crisis nationwide.