https://www.vanguardngr.com/

https://www.vanguardngr.com/



1 killed as RTEAN, Alaba Int’l market task force clash over alleged extortion

*Scores injured, hoodlums hijack opportunity, rob fleeing persons

By Evelyn Usman, Godfrey Bivere & Mary Opara

LAGOS—One person was shot dead and scores of others injured in a clash that erupted between members of the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria, RTEAN, and those of Alaba International market task force in Lagos.

Vanguard gathered that the new leadership in the market directed RTEAN members to leave its terrain owing to complaints of extortion by drivers conveying customers’ goods.

They were alleged to be collecting as much as N4,000 from each driver, daily. They were also accused of collecting between N100 and N400 from customers who bought electronics. The charges, as gathered, vary according to the size of the electronics.

The market’s leadership further argued that RTEAN members had no business collecting tolls from drivers since its activities had been suspended by the Lagos State government.

Consequently, a memo was reportedly issued by the market’s leadership, informing traders that the activities of RTEAN members had been suspended, with effect from Tuesday, October 18, 2022.

Also read


Pandemonium as Alaba International traders protest extortion by RTEAN

In line with the directive, the market’s task force members chased some of the toll collectors on Monday.

However, the former mobilised and stormed the market wielding dangerous weapons, yesterday, attacking members of the task force, who were stationed at the toll collection point. Some traders who ran into the feud were injured.

The fight, as gathered, lingered for two hours, with sounds of sporadic gunshots vibrating in the war zone.

The clash paralysed commercial activities for the day as traders, who were just opening for the day’s business hurriedly closed and left for their respective homes to avoid being hit by bullets.

Hoodlums hijacked the opportunity as they dispossessed traders and customers of cash, telephones and other valuables.

How it started

Some traders who spoke with Vanguard, however, gave different accounts of why the transport union was bent on extorting customers and cab drivers.

One of them, who simply gave his name as Chioye, said: “These agberos have been operating here for years. They extort money from customers, who come to buy goods here. If customers refused to give them, they would not be allowed to leave with the goods.

“As if that was not enough, they just increased the money they usually collect from drivers conveying customers’ goods. Every day, they collect N4,000 from each driver. To make up for the payment, these drivers charged customers more and the increment has started affecting sales, as some of our customers have stopped patronising us.

“Also they collect between N100 and N300 from customers who bought a television. The price they charge depends on the size of the television. If a customer’s item is bigger than his bag, he must pay.

“So, when the Lagos State government stopped activities of RTEAN after a recent clash between its members and NURTW, the market’s leadership saw it as an opportunity to stop the extortion.

“The RTEAN has been informed to stop operating in the market since, but its members kept coming to extort until we put our feet down on Monday.”

Another trader, who identified himself as Ogbonna Chijioke blamed the crisis on politics in the market.

Chijioke said: “The agberos were giving part of what they collected to former executive members. But when the new executive came on board, the chairman refused to collect part of the toll from the agberos, insisting that they must leave the market area. But previous members of exco, who were still benefiting from them, urged them to continue.”

Another aggrieved trader in the furniture section lamented that “these agberos have caused inflation. For instance, if a truck is bringing in our goods, they would collect money from the driver before he would get to his destination. Before offloading the goods, the driver would also pay.

“The cost of way billing goods to customers has also increased because of agberos. For instance, if you are conveying goods from Alaba to Ikeja, the driver would charge you N25,000 instead of N10,000 or N15,000 and when you ask, they would tell you they need to settle agberos.

“Sometimes customers get angry and leave the market because of the harassment by agberos and this act is affecting business. The new chairman sent a memo out yesterday (Tuesday) that the market would not tolerate agberos again.”

How one trader was killed

Narrating how one of the traders was killed, his collegaue, Omezioke said: “The man that died was in the electronics section. He was among those that chased the agberos away the first time. By the time they reinforced, the agberos came with guns. They shot some traders. We used wheel barrows to rush the injured to the hospital. Unfortunately, one of them died.”

As of 5.30 pm, the market had been deserted. A heavy presence of personnel of the OP MESSA and policemen were seen patrolling the area when Vanguard visited.

Spokesman for the Lagos State Police Command, SP Benjamin Hudenyin, said no arrest was made.

Nobody should put anything on RTEAN members head why not say it is Park and garages thugs,

Maybe the nyamuri flat.head went to chestbeat instead to run, thinking it was social media

Nyamuri:
Maybe the nyamuri flat.head went to chestbeat instead to run, thinking it was social media

Wait I dey come make I show you one omonile dead body .

Modified: see e pics below

Na owo mi da cuz am.


When hard working men dey under sun dey labor this one say na Agbo and cigarette money e wan dey collect

Last last na like this we go upload your pics if you try rubbish for this election

According to the report, it's clear the Traders overpowered the Yaribaa pigs and chased them out initially, then the cowards reinforced with guns instead of confronting their more superior opponents like real men, they ended up shooting a random trader who was carted away in a wheel barrow and unfortunately lost his life, few other traders were hit with stray bullets and other missiles like bottles thrown at them by the Yaribaa cowards...this angered the traders who marched out in full force and rinsed out the agbero plagues from Alaba environs.

Twitter videos of Igbos dominating the whole of Alaba after the agbero pigs were routed.

https://twitter.com/McTMO/status/1582676137888530433

https://twitter.com/ejykmykel1/status/1582674510662184960



https://twitter.com/gistlovers_/status/1582679018960060416 (one of the thugs was caught on the wrong side and the needful was done on him).

All the trending videos on Twitter showed which side clearly won the clash, you carried guns yet failed to drive out the traders, na Igbos get Lagos!!!

Oh my goodness.
That's evil.

I will take Tinubu serious the day he puts an end to the agberos intimidating and extorting lagosians...

Hmmm

Nyamuri:
Maybe the nyamuri flat.head went to chestbeat instead to run, thinking it was social media

>

Don't mind the idiot my brother...

Instead of him to run he thought they were coward eebos.


All these agbero boys are known as sea of troubles .they will never relent until their demand is satisfied....

Where is it written that pics was even from alaba ? This one here is publish by Igbo Vanguard newspaper

Bontafa:


Wait I dey come make I show you one omonile dead body .

Modified: see e pics below

Na owo mi da cuz am.


When hard working men dey under sun dey labor this one say na Agbo and cigarette money e wan dey collect

Last last na like this we go upload your pics if you try rubbish for this election

blancsn1:
Where is it written that pics was even from alaba ? This one here is publish by Igbo Vanguard newspaper

Vanguard don turn ipob ?

Them suppose name you gandoki

DSC7:
I will take Tinubu serious the day he puts an end to the agberos intimidating and extorting lagosians...

Tinubu is the head of thugs in Lagos.

They are threatening to chase away the police in Lagos if Tinubu wins.

No sane Lagosian should vote for Tinubu.

Eeya.. So sad. Really sad.

The new exco should have brought in mediators and engage more before sending his task force to go engage those RTEAN members and challenge their predecessors backing the RTEAN members.

I think police and LASG should get to the bottom of this sad incident.

Bontafa:


Vanguard don turn ipob ?

Them suppose name you gandoki

abeg..

Tochi3:
abeg..

Urchins go just make u tire

Bontafa:


Urchins go just make u tire

Very stupid Set of humans... spit on their foreheads

A typical life style of a Yoruba thug. Owo mi daa people. Hand go touch una one dee

Tinubu and thuggery

Government really need to wake up and flush this agberos out from lagos. The stupid local government are the one creating agberos in conjunction with some traditional ruler in the state.

I remember last year when I went to buy something at ladipo I haven't even step down from car before one idiot started asking for 1k

I just have to tell him to look me well I'm not going to give him anything and he should get that to him head.
Truly this traders are tired of them.

Bontafa:


Urchins go just make u tire

Those folks have lost their minds..

Tochi3:
Those folks have lost their minds..

Very daft set of bastards

Bontafa:


Very daft set of bastards

Extremely daft set, churned out to support APCSHIT & Thief'nubu ...

The traders shouldn't have taken the law into their hands. The union had been suspended by the state government, that's a good ground to go to the court and get an order to keep them away from the market, but our Igbo brothers are always eager to prove that they co - own Lagos with the indigenous Lagosians. I am a Yoruba from Osun state living in Lagos State, but I have never seen myself as part of those who own Lagos.

Stop killing yourself over BS.

Someone came to make an honest living and gangstars wants to tax them without providing something in exchange.

JAMO84:
The traders shouldn't have taken the law into their hands. The union had been suspended by the state government, that's a good ground to go to the court and get an order to keep them away from the market, but our Igbo brothers are always eager to prove that they co - own Lagos with the indigenous Lagosians. I am a Yoruba from Osun state living in Lagos State, but I have never seen myself as part of those who own Lagos.

There was no police there. Does the thugs have address? Where would they sue after being beaten up? Put tribalism aside and call them traders resisting mafia extortion and violent intimidation.

These traders pays state and federal tax plus signboards and other bullshit fees.

Nyamuri:
Maybe the nyamuri flat.head went to chestbeat instead to run, thinking it was social media

I'm sure that's what put him in harm's way. His fellow nyamuri brethren have been jubilating on nairaland since morning saying a Yoruba man was killed by their igbo brothers in Lagos.

Now we know who was destroyed

Nyamuri:
Maybe the nyamuri flat.head went to chestbeat instead to run, thinking it was social media

He woke up in the morning, went to work to do business. Got brutally killed, you are jubilating.

The nyamiri has more honour than you (for protecting his source of income unto death).