The Council of Maritime Truck Unions and Associations (COMTUA) has accused the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) of operating 20 Illegal checkpoints where truckers are extorted daily.
In a statement issued recently by the National President of COMTUA, Prince Adeyinka Aroyewun, the truckers lamented over daily extortion its members face in the hands of government backed touts who position along port access roads and major highways in Lagos.
According to COMTUA, “It is with deep frustration that we write to highlight and bring to your notice, the excruciating torture, daily extortion and destruction of trucks our members face in the hands of touts who position along port access roads and major highways in Lagos.
“To say the least, it is sad to note that this brazen illegality continues in broad day light without any modicum of check.
“Letters of complaint and consultation to Park and Garages Committee, Park Administration Committee and Maritime Workers’ Union ( MWUN) on the activities of their members have all fell on deaf ears as none has yielded results.
“Instead of applying civility, they resort to most provocative affront as these groups, in connivance with Government Agencies, increases dues and extortion points.
“To be specific, MWUN operates 20 checkpoints from Coconut to Tin-Can Port Second gate where N2,000 is forcefully collected per point from our members. This is under the watch of the MWUN President-General Comrade Adewale Adeyanju whose main coordinator is Taofeek Shorinola (also Known and called Sheu Tao). They injure and sometimes kill our members for non-compliance to the extortion.
“Parks and Garages has Abayomi Abeyi Ajele (Also Known and called Ikomodina), Michael Adewale (Also Known and called Hot water) and one Raji (Also known and called Student mount) as coordinators and they control 30 extortion points between Mile 2 and Sunrise where between N2,000 and N6,000 are forcefully collected per point.
Park Administrator has Chiboy and Adeleke as coordinators, and they collect money forcefully from truckers around Kirikiri, FATGBEMS, Badagry Express Road and inside Amuwo Odofin.”
