By: Manoah Kikekon
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| The leader of the NURTW team and motorcycles arrested |
An operation by alleged National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) officials along the Mowo-Ikoga road on Wednesday has sparked outrage, with victims demanding refunds and threatening legal action. The NURTW leadership has since disowned the operation, calling it illegal and unauthorized.
Over 50 motorcycle riders many of them private owners were forcefully stopped, harassed, and extorted of ₦5,000 each by a team claiming to be NURTW enforcement officers. The victims, including farmers and laborers, were delayed for hours, with some sustaining injuries during confrontations.
One victim, visibly shaken, told News Peddlers: "They didn’t issue any tickets or ID cards. They just took our money and left. This is pure robbery" Another rider, who paid ₦5,000 to retrieve his bike, lamented: "The roads are terrible, and bikes are our only means of transport. Now, these men are exploiting us for no reason."
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Alhaji Abdulganiu Muyibi, NURTW Chairman for the Ikoga area and Special Adviser to Badagry LG Chairman Olusegun Onilude on Revenue, distanced the union from the operation.
"The operation was illegal. I was not informed, and the appropriate authorities were unaware. We are taking disciplinary action and have escalated the matter to the headquarters," Muyibi stated in a phone interview.
The rogue team, reportedly led by a man identified as Gbadebo, operated around Pheragu, Iyana-Logbo (Igborosun), and Ikoga, targeting riders including non-commercial bike owners under the guise of checking for "Riders ID."
Frustrated residents have called on the local government to act before the situation escalates into chaos. "This happens often on market days. They extort us, and nothing is done. We are peaceful, but the youth may soon react," a rider warned.
An NURTW officer involved in the operation shockingly justified the extortion "If we don’t do this, what do you expect us to eat?"
The team claimed to be from the Oko-Afo unit of the NURTW, but this remains unverified. With no receipts or documentation issued, victims are left questioning the legitimacy of the operation.