There is no doubt the Lagos state governor has done extremely well, at least till date. One agenda which I have been expecting him to lauch is an agenda to curb the activities of agberos in Lagos state; and to make the Nigerian Police in the state understand that they are policing human beings like themselves, and not animals.

A couple of days ago, someone was killed in Oshodi. He was shot by Policemen who had come with his team to disperse streetfighters: Agberos and bus drivers. The story is that the Agbero union increased the daily taxes of these bus drivers, from 200-Naira to 500-Naira. The bus drivers disagreed and an argument / fight ensued. The police came around to stop the fight etc.

One of them, wanting to do the usual: point your gun straight up and shoot into the air" to disperse people / alert the fighters that "we(the police) have arrived", unfortunately pointed it in an inclined position and shot a man passing on the overhead bridge, just like other people. The man, who was obviously coming from his workplace was in formal clothes(long sleeves shirt tucked into his Jeans trousers), and sporting a good shoe.

The policeman that shot him showed absolutely no emotion and just looked on as if nothing happened. Passers by just had to look on in awe, and leave the man in his own pool of blood. Even other policemen who witnessed the incident showed no emotion, as if one of them hadn't done anything wrong.

The point is this: an innocent man has been killed by the Nigerian Police, saraa, and they wont be held accountable for his death.

The scene left me thinking: perhaps these officers would do the usual, of removing his clothes, labelling him as an armed robber and reporting to his relatives later on, (they searched his pockets, took his phone/wallet) - since he wasn't with someone who could have spoken for him, as a witness at the time of his death.

Back to the Agbero issue: I am of the opinion that by now, Governor Fashola should have laid Agberos to rest, and restore peace to the Lagos environment. The idea where fully grown men stand at bus-stops collecting 50-Naira from every bus driver that passes by; or those in Oshodi who collect dues they are not entitled to is a bane to Lagos state.

Ofcourse, the story is that these Agberos and Touts / arial boys have backers in the state government, etc., thats why they are very confident in doing what they are doing - as long as they make their daily returns to their concerned Ogas, up, up, up, into various tiers of goverment, which we all know is not supposed to be.

The question still remains: why hasnt Governor Fashola done anything about Agberos, Touts, Arial boys, etc., in Lagos state?

I stood wondering what would happen to his relatives awaiting his return from work.

The touts worked for Tinubu, and they serve a purpose for the current, it seems.

heard the so called agberos is what fashola is angry with tinubu about with the latter telling the fornmer that 'does boys MUST remain". as if their removal occurs the gov will pay darely for it.

Kobojunkie:

The touts worked for Tinubu, and they serve a purpose for the current, it seems.

But doesnt the issue of "agberos" date back pre-Tinubu era

Agberos first blossomed during the reign of Adeniji Adele as Lagos island chairman in 1991-1993, he pampered them and spoilt them. When the military went back to full govt in 1993, Agberos was reduced as those soldiers were no nonsene guys, even Marwa did a wonderful job in checkmating armed robbers and agberos.

However just immediately after or probably late during abdusalami era things started to deteroriate,Tinubu was the manure that fertilised the unprecedented growth of the agbero menace. From the Bomboy in Oshodi to the chiefs in lagos island , to the 36 kiniun they all worked for him and they are his joker during elections. In 2003 Tinubu gave out brand new new jeeps to some agbero heads to checkmate Williams. These agberos are what Tinubu will use to checkmate Fashola himself during election rigging in 2011. Fashola should get rid of them before the help in getting rid of him

Lagosboy:

Agberos first blossomed during the reign of Adeniji Adele as Lagos island chairman in 1991-1993, he pampered them and spoilt them. When the military went back to full govt in 1993, Agberos was reduced as those soldiers were no nonsene guys, even Marwa did a wonderful job in checkmating armed robbers and agberos.

However just immediately after or probably late during abdusalami era things started to deteroriate,Tinubu was the manure that fertilised the unprecedented growth of the agbero menace. From the Bomboy in Oshodi to the chiefs in lagos island , to the 36 kiniun they all worked for him and they are his joker during elections. In 2003 Tinubu gave out brand new new jeeps to some agbero heads to checkmate Williams. These agberos are what Tinubu will use to checkmate Fashola himself during election rigging in 2011. Fashola should get rid of them before the help in getting rid of him

Lagos boy, SPOT ON!!!!!! and seconded strongly.

MrCrackles:

But doesnt the issue of "agberos" date back pre-Tinubu era

Like someone already made known, Agberos were put in their place by the Millitary governors we had. But it seems the civilian governors do not understand they constitute a nuisance. I don't understand why they would not know that though. The tout situation is sort of similar to the islamic police(touts) situation up in the north, if you ask me. Only wished people would condemn them even more, cause I don't for the life of me understand why some street tout should be given such power over the masses. It makes absolutely no sense to me.

Lagosboy:

Agberos first blossomed during the reign of Adeniji Adele as Lagos island chairman in 1991-1993, he pampered them and spoilt them. When the military went back to full govt in 1993, Agberos was reduced as those soldiers were no nonsene guys, even Marwa did a wonderful job in checkmating armed robbers and agberos.

However just immediately after or probably late during abdusalami era things started to deteroriate,Tinubu was the manure that fertilised the unprecedented growth of the agbero menace. From the Bomboy in Oshodi to the chiefs in lagos island , to the 36 kiniun they all worked for him and they are his joker during elections. In 2003 Tinubu gave out brand new new jeeps to some agbero heads to checkmate Williams. These agberos are what Tinubu will use to checkmate Fashola himself during election rigging in 2011. Fashola should get rid of them before the help in getting rid of him

This just makes sense to me now. They used to be inconspicuous back then, all of a sudden they became street kings.

Agbero[b]ism[/b] is a form of employment for many folks in those parts. Do you want Fasola to render them unemployed?

Lagosboy:

Agberos first blossomed during the reign of Adeniji Adele as Lagos island chairman in 1991-1993, he pampered them and spoilt them. When the military went back to full govt in 1993, Agberos was reduced as those soldiers were no nonsene guys, even Marwa did a wonderful job in checkmating armed robbers and agberos.

However just immediately after or probably late during abdusalami era things started to deteroriate,Tinubu was the manure that fertilised the unprecedented growth of the agbero menace. From the Bomboy in Oshodi to the chiefs in lagos island , to the 36 kiniun they all worked for him and they are his joker during elections. In 2003 Tinubu gave out brand new new jeeps to some agbero heads to checkmate Williams. These agberos are what Tinubu will use to checkmate Fashola himself during election rigging in 2011. Fashola should get rid of them before the help in getting rid of him

Obrigado. . . .

Kobojunkie:

Like someone already made known, Agberos were put in their place by the Millitary governors we had. But it seems the civilian governors do not understand they constitute a nuisance. I don't understand why they would not know that though. The tout situation is sort of similar to the islamic police(touts) situation up in the north, if you ask me. Only wished people would condemn them even more, cause I don't for the life of me understand why some street tout should be given such power over the masses. It makes absolutely no sense to me.

I get your point. . .

Mekusxyz:

Agbero[b]ism[/b] is a form of employment for many folks in those parts. Do you want Fasola to render them unemployed?

They could train them and turn them into drivers/conductors, unskilled workers, etc. Many of them who had some sense already work for the state government in Lastma, etc.

But like someone already pointed out, the agberos are Tinubu's election jokers. They help him especially in the Lagos mainland to rig elections so he definitely will not want to see them go.
The hope we have is if Fashola wakes up someday and damns the consequencies. That however is like a drowning man hanging on to straws.

Mekusxyz:

Agbero[b]ism[/b] is a form of employment for many folks in those parts. Do you want Fasola to render them unemployed?

Such empoyment is an illegitimate employment. A lazy street king sits down surrounded by several women, and his boys go tax hard working commercial drivers. Imagine if all the money collected from the drivers was just toll fare, and the revenue ploughed back for road maintenance , one could imagine the level of success that will be witnessed.

Those boys are nothing but lazy cows who constitute the highest level of environmental pollution in Lagos state. They are no different from armed robbers and some of them are armed robbers at night.

Nobody in his right senses would condone what these agberos do. Tinubu must be a mad man then.

stillwater:

Nobody in his right senses would condone what these agberos do. Tinubu must be a mad man then.

He certainly appears to be

I wont blame fashola because if he dare them, he might loose his position or even more.
Yes, they are that powerful when used well by bad politicians.
Chris Uba used them extensively to fight ngige and if not that ngige being a 'rugged' man that he is, used his own touts to fight back, would have been out of his seat long before the tribunal struck.

Mekusxyz:

Agbero[b]ism[/b] is a form of employment for many folks in those parts. Do you want Fasola to render them unemployed?

If Agberoism is a form of employment, then the whole state better turn into Agberos. Some of this boys earn much more than what some people working in offices earn in a month. I once saw(on a Saturday) a very popular agbero in Ojuelegba bus stop, on his way to an outing with his family(wife and two kids), seated and smiling in a 5-series BWM. I was like, what the, The next tuesday, I spotted this same guy at Ojuelegba again, running after buses, fighting and making himself a total nuisance. It was then I became convinced that these agbero boys are not as poor as they look.

godseyi:

If Agberoism is a form of employment, then the whole state better turn into Agberos. Some of this boys earn much more than what some people working in offices earn in a month. I once saw(on a Saturday) a very popular agbero in Ojuelegba bus stop, on his way to an outing with his family(wife and two kids), seated and smiling in a 5-series BWM. I was like, what the, The next tuesday, I spotted this same guy at Ojuelegba again, running after buses, fighting and making himself a total nuisance. It was then I became convinced that these agbero boys are not as poor as they look.

So you thought all those agberos are poor church rats?