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Revealed How Corrupt Task Force Extort, Intimidate Trucker Owners at Apapa Ports

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Revealed How Corrupt Task Force Officers Extort, Intimidate Trucker Owners at Apapa Ports

Revealed How Corrupt Task Force Officers Extort, Intimidate Trucker Owners at Apapa Ports By Israel Bolaji

 

 

 

 

Interestingly, aggrieved truck owners and operators in the Apapa ports axis of Lagos State have cried out over the nefarious activities of multiple task force officers operating in the area, calling on the state government for urgent assistance.

 

 

Revealed How Corrupt Task Force Officers Extort, Intimidate Trucker Owners at Apapa Ports

 

The operators who lamented illegal activities of faceless and multiple task force officers at the Apapa ports said they indulge in wanton extortion, corruption, hijacking of trucks, and forceful seizures of trucks with false claims of abandoned vehicles. The alleged victims said the abandoned vehicles task force were in the habit of chasing out drivers of trucks and brazenly driving same to their offices with the claims that the truck was abandoned in a bid to force owners to pay outrageous fines to the tune of N400,000 per truck once the trucks reach their office.

They added further that it has always been difficult to officially identify the miscreants who masquerade as government officials at the Apapa port. Some of the victims recounted their various sad experience to our correspondent.

Ibrahim Lawal – Vice Chairman, Lagos NARTO

I am a truck owner at Apapa port. When NPA and government worked together, things worked. Despite assurances from NPA before the Eto app for the online truck queueing system came, it is problematic. Though it started well briefly. We go first to Ojota and to lillypond where we spend over a month with the loaded trucks. The port officials are supposed to call us from Lilly pond to Apapa but they will not, while some people will pay heavy bribes and those are the ones they will be calling in. I have a truck that has spent three months now waiting to access the port at the Lilly pond. It was loaded with cashew. You can imagine the loss. Our clients will also refuse to pay demurrage leaving us to shoulder the full responsibility alone.  For no just cause, they will not grant you the right to access. They simply ensure they allow at night only those who pay outrageous amounts as bribes. Once you don’t, you will queue for months. For example, the official rate on Eto app per truck is about #35,000 which is paid through the bank but to get access you will bribe with an extra #150,000.  We have written the government three times on these issues before now.

When the President visited Apapa port we were turned back and we parked around Flour Mill. We were queried for not returning to Lilly pond. Our trucks were seized and we paid #150,000 to the task force officers comprising of different security formations. After we returned to Sanya, task force officers still came and drove our vehicles away. Almost 40 trucks were seized and are still at Alausa. They did the same at Okota. The government who sent them to the port doesn’t know the atrocities they are committing at the ports. That’s why we are here to expose them to the government. Many people have sold their trucks because of these issues. When Lagos intervened things worked till everything scattered again. The terminal operators are also culpable as they load only very few trucks just to create avenues for corruption. They are part of the big problem.

Fatai Raheem, NARTO Member, Transport Owner

 

On May 27, we parked our trucks at the trailer park garage in Apapa at warehouse road. Task Force officers at Apapa port broke into the park with the claims that the trucks were abandoned. They drove our trucks away. There are many task force units at the Port and they operate with impunity. Nobody can clearly pinpoint who is who officially. When lines don’t move, they just come with hoodlums and seize control of any trucks unchecked.

They drove 5 of our trucks away from the warehouse. On their way to Area, B Customs stopped them. When they could not explain the content of the trucks which were for exports, customs seized the trucks and took them to their office in Ikorodu. as exports trucks, the seal should not be broken but Customs broke the seal for physical examination following which the task force officers later took the trucks to Oshodi where we were forced to pay #400,000 on each of the 5 trucks. 

I have lodged complaints to my union at Apapa port and they helped us slashed the outrageous bribe to #250,000 per truck. These guys are called Abandoned Vehicle task force officers and they just seize people’s property forcefully from your parking lot claiming it has been abandoned. The trucks were in the port premises how can you call that abandoned? He asked. NPA are even the instigators of problems from one system to another without solutions. Government should help us reduce the task force.

 

 

 

Sunny Yakubu, Truck owner 

 

I am about to pay the sum of #120,000 to the Abandoned vehicle task force officers at Apapa port. Just last week, my driver called me that his hose pulled out around 2 am while driving around Surulere Enroute Apapa port. Then, some hoodlums came out requesting money before he could repair the vehicle. I appealed to them on phone and pleaded that they accept the sum of #5,000 from the driver and they obliged. My driver also added the N3,000 on him to the money for them and all was going smoothly. Just as the driver was finished up the basic repair which didn’t take more than 10 minutes, the obnoxious abandoned vehicle task force officers emerged from nowhere in their LASTMA truck. They forcefully seized the vehicle and drove it to their office. I pleaded with him to collect #20k that it was an empty truck but he refused. Now they are asking me to pay N120,000 for fine for failing to bribe him earlier with N100,000. This has been our sad experience for long.

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ASR AFRICA FLAGS OFF CONSTRUCTION OF A N280 MILLION INTEGRATED PUBLISHING HOUSE FOR BABCOCK UNIVERSITY, ILISHAN-REMO, OGUN STATE, NIGERIA

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ASR AFRICA FLAGS OFF CONSTRUCTION OF A N280 MILLION INTEGRATED PUBLISHING HOUSE FOR BABCOCK UNIVERSITY, ILISHAN-REMO, OGUN STATE, NIGERIA

ASR AFRICA FLAGS OFF CONSTRUCTION OF A N280 MILLION INTEGRATED PUBLISHING HOUSE FOR BABCOCK UNIVERSITY, ILISHAN-REMO, OGUN STATE, NIGERIA

 

 

 

 

Sahara Weekly Reports That The Abdul Samad Rabiu Africa Initiative (ASR Africa), the philanthropic initiative of the Chairman of BUA Group, Abdul Samad Rabiu (CFR, CON), has flagged off the construction of a N280 million Abdul Samad Rabiu Integrated Publishing House for Babcock University, Ilishan-Remo, Ogun State. This project will enhance the capacity of the University from basic press status to a modern, integrated publishing house to encompass publishing, print production, and other related diversified services. The one-storey building facility will serve as a laboratory and studio for training students of communications, media studies, and allied disciplines as well as other disciplines.

 

 

 

ASR AFRICA FLAGS OFF CONSTRUCTION OF A N280 MILLION INTEGRATED PUBLISHING HOUSE FOR BABCOCK UNIVERSITY, ILISHAN-REMO, OGUN STATE, NIGERIA

 

 

 

 

At the groundbreaking event, the Vice Chancellor of the University, Prof. Ademola S. Tayo, expressed satisfaction at the nomination by ASR Africa, under its Tertiary Education Grant Scheme. He added that the choice of the project was a response to the vision to take the Mass Communications Department of the University to a whole new level. According to him, the university’s vision is to produce young men and women capable of critical thinking, and problem-solvers capable of proffering innovative solutions to problems of everyday life, be it social, political, and cultural.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In his response, Dr. Ubon Udoh, the Managing Director of ASR Africa, expressed his delight at the University’s choice of establishing an Integrated Publishing House. He added that when information is appropriately applied, human society is empowered to liberate itself from limitations and attain its full potential. Dr Udoh reiterated the commitment of the Chairman of ASR Africa, Abdul Samad Rabiu to supporting quality education within the tertiary education system in Nigeria and urged the institution to focus on the sustainability of this noble project. He also reiterated the importance of cooperation and collaboration between the university and the contractor for the timely delivery of the publishing house.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

About ASR Africa

ASR Africa is the brainchild of African Industrialist, Philanthropist, and Chairman of BUA Group, Abdul Samad Rabiu, the Abdul Samad Rabiu Africa Initiative (ASR Africa) was established in 2021 to provide sustainable, impact-based, homegrown solutions to developmental issues affecting Health, Education and Social Development within Africa.

 

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President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR, PLEASE, ACT FAST!

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President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR, PLEASE, ACT FAST! by Comrade Oladimeji Odeyemi.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR, PLEASE, ACT FAST!

by Comrade Oladimeji Odeyemi.

 

 

It’s no longer story that the preparation for the EndSars carnage went on for a while before its actual implementation.

 

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR, PLEASE, ACT FAST!
by Comrade Oladimeji Odeyemi.

 

But lack of proactive approach on the part of some people in the government of the day became a recipe for the actualisation of the dastardly act. History is about to be repeated, but I do not expect this to happen under the watch of President Bola Tinubu.

I do not say that people should not be allowed to protest if they have any reason to do so. But given the fact that the country does not have the capacity to separate genuine protesters from hoodlums, unnecessary protest should be curtailed.

Some people may be surprised that I call it unnecessary protest.

Yes, it’s unnecessary because this government has never displayed any act of rigidity since it took the mantle of leadership. It responds even to mere comments on social media expressly within. It is clear to every discerning and positive citizen that this government has become one of the most engaging one since 1999.

It has engaged with the organised labour on the minimum wage and it’s being passed to law. It has won autonomy for local government councils. It is on course for disbursements of students’ loans. It has given tax waiver for certain commodities and goods. You only protest against a government that is either passive, incorrigible or rigid. How can a government that is barely a year in office be protested against even when it has surpassed many of the past ones within one year? That cannot be called a protest but a mischief.

President Bola Tinubu should not be deceived by those who harp on funny fundamental human rights to cause mayhem. America is the country they use as a reference point. But American government does not take untoward attitude from anyone. If you want some you will be given some. There is no way for avoidable discomfort.

Kenyans are licking their wounds at the moment. We must not allow our own case to get to that point. I believe that many of those who are planning for the protest are children who do not know the implications of such a protest. Those who are old among them are those who would gladly set their universities’ libraries on fire in the name of students’ demonstration just because water tap didn’t run at the expected time.

Please, begin to show us that we have someone in charge of our affairs. Be more presidential Your Excellency. We know that it’s those who lost elections in 2023 and those they have recruited among those who think you have not compensated them among your conditional supporters that are behind the protest.

Please, refuse to be blackmailed. No matter what you do, there is but one mind in those people and it is turned against you. Please do everything humanly possible for PH REFINERY to work. Support Dangote Refinery to get crude oil locally.

We must not be importing fuel forever. Therefore, you should beware of the sinister motive of the August 1 planned protest, Your Excellency. May you continue to succeed and may all patriotic Nigerians continue to progress in all spheres of life in the mighty name of God.

Comrade Oladimeji Odeyemi is an entrepreneur, opinion leader and a security analyst.

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Law Enforcement Training Institute ( LETI ) Commences Annual Mandatory Training

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Law Enforcement Training Institute ( LETI ) Commences Annual Mandatory Training.

 

 

The Lagos State Law Enforcement Training Institute ( LETI ) begins her Annual Mandatory Training Exercise for the year 2024 for Law Officers across the state.

The exercise, which will run for a duration of six weeks brings together officers from the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority ( Lastma ), the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps ( Kai ), the Vehicle Inspection Service ( Vis ), the Lagos Neighbourhood Safety Corps ( Lnsc ) and the Central Business District ( Cbd ) law Officers.

In her opening remarks, the CEO / Head of Leti Mrs Abiola Adeyinka emphasised on the importance of continual training for Law Officers to ” be at their best” and to ” embrace the opportunity to enhance their skills and knowledge.” she stressed the need for professionalism, integrity, and respect for the Rule of Law in the discharge of their duties as respectable officers of the state of excellence. The training program will cover a wide range of topics to include:
* Traffic management and Enforcement.
* Public safety and security.
* Human right and law enforcement.
* Conflict resolution etc.
* Interpersonal relations to mention but few.

Mrs Adeyinka reteirated the State government commitment to ensuring that Leti delivers on its mandate of providing high quality training to Law enforcement Officers in the state.

According to the Ceo, “The Governor of Lagos State has pledged the full support of his administration to Leti in its efforts to enhance the professionalism and effectiveness of Law enforcement in Lagos State. The annual mandatory training exercise is a testament to the Lagos State government commitment to ensuring a safe, secure and well- managed environment for all residents.

Law Enforcement Training Institute ( LETI ) Commences Annual Mandatory Training.

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