Hoodlums on Rampage against Maritime Truckers, Inflict Life threatening Injuries, Deaths

Hoodlums on Rampage against Maritime truckers, inflict Life threatening injuries, deaths

… As AMATO fingers officials of NURTW, RTEAN, others for extortion, harassment, maiming, murder of members, Threatens to Down Tools

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There seems to be a looming danger in the Apapa Port business corridor as the Amalgamation of Maritime Truck Operations (AMATO) has threatened to down-tools over incessant attacks on their truck drivers by hired hoodlums on a regular basis.

Chief Remi Ogungbemi, Chairman, AMATO

Pictures of recent attacks on the truckers which involved some deaths as released by the AMATO association shows a very worrisome, gory and horrific sight, which calls for the urgent attention of relevant authority of government to act fast.

To this, the maritime truck operators in an emergency press briefing, were seen gathered in their large numbers at the AMATO Secretariat, Creek Road in Apapa yesterday, Wednesday August 28th, 2024, in a protest manner to drive home their messages as they cried out for help to sought the urgent intervention of the federal government over what they described as intimidation, harassment, extortion and in extreme cases, maiming and killing of truckers by the hoodlums.

Trucks Plying Apapa corridor

At the meeting, they allegedly said that the attacking hoodlums were sponsored by the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN) and some Local governments in Lagos state.

The aggrieved truckers in the press release statement signed by its Secretary, Mohammed Sanni Bala, did not hide their lamentations over activities of these commuter transport unions which tend to have destabilized the trucking business, even as some truckers have long abandoned the trade due to these unwarranted attacks.

One of the truckers inflicted with a deep cut on his forehead

In further lamentation, Mohammed Sani Bala who spoke on behalf of harassed AMATO members (truckers), bemoaned the rate at which their businesses are gradually collapsing as a result of the ceaseless and unwarranted attacks by the hoodlums.

They however threatened to resort to the last option of shutting down port’s operations through withdrawal of their services if nothing is done by the relevant authority of the government to address the problem of hoodlums sabotaging their business, until the challenges are addressed. Specific date or ultimatum were not however given to this effect.

One of the trucks destroyed by the hoodlums

According to quotes from the statement, “We gather here today 28/08/2924 to draw the the attention of the Federal Government of Nigeria as a matter of urgency, to address the menace of hoodlums who are working under the name of commuter associations like National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria( RTEAN) and some Local Governments that are threatening our lives, vandalizing our trucks, sabotaging our business and undermining Nigerian economy.

“As a result of the activities of these hoodlums across many roads and highways in Lagos State, our Drivers are being extorted, beaten, and killed.

“Our trucks are being vandalized and set ablaze by these hoodlums in an attempt to collect money from our drivers.

“They have caused the falling of many trucks carrying export and import goods worth billions of naira along Apapa/Tincan Ports corridor and ECOWAS corridor of Lagos Badagry express road where innocent citizens have been lost their lives including military and policemen thorough ghastly accidents induced by multiple checkpoints mounted by these hoodlums in their attempt to stop and extort Truck Drivers.

“Our business is collapsing. We can no longer put our trucks in good shape and comply with minimum safety standards due to endless attacks on our trucks by hoodlums

“Nigeria’s trade facilitation, ease of doing business in the ports corridors and seamless evacuation of cargoes to and from the ports are imploding under the activities of hoodlums who apart from unlawful extortion, truck vandalization, causing traffic gridlock,  assaulting drivers and death, have nothing positive to contribute.

“The hostile transportation business environment created by these hoodlums is limiting the chances of Nigeria benefiting from the African Continental Free Trade Area ACFTA by discouraging foreign investors.

Another AMATO Trucker with inflicted injuries

“Many logistics businesses are relocating from Lagos State due to the activities of these hoodlums. Our drivers are abandoning the driving profession due to daily harassment.

“We have written several letters to the Lagos State Government, the State Police Command and the DSS without any solution in view.

“Hence, our convergence here today is to let the federal government and the whole world know what we are going through and that enough is enough.

“We cannot continue to be working like elephant and be eating like ants.

“We cannot continue to labour for hoodlums to be collecting our hard-earned proceeds in this period of economic hardship coupled with the astronomical rise in the cost of trucking operations” the truckers groaned.

“On this note, if the Federal Government does not address the problem of hoodlums sabotaging our business, we are going to shut down port operations through withdrawal of our service until the Government addresses our challenges.

In preferring some solutions and demands, the maritime truckers urged the Federal Government to declare an outright ban on mounting roadblocks and checkpoints for toll collection on major highways in line with sections of the Taxes and Levies Act 2004 which prohibits any person, including a Tax Authority from mounting a Road block in any part of the Federation for the purposes of collecting any Tax or Levy.

They also call on government to warn Commuter Bus Associations and Local Governments in Lagos State to refrain from stopping, harassing and imposing/selling their tickets or interfering with anything trucks as we truckers do not dabble into any of their affairs.

In all, the truckers prayed the Federal Government to stop hoodlums from vandalizing their trucks, beating and extorting their drivers on the roads.