…MWUN, NARTO, AMATO Accuse Lagos Taskforces of Extortion

By Victor Ahiuma-Young

A major industrial crisis is looming at the nation’s ports as transport unions have threatened to withdraw their services from all port formations in Lagos starting Wednesday, February 26, over alleged harassment and extortion by Lagos State taskforces.

The Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN), the Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO), and the Association of Maritime Truck Owners (AMATO), under the aegis of NMA, accused the Lagos State Committee on Removal of Abandoned Vehicles and the Special Traffic Management Committee in Apapa of arbitrary actions, abuse of power, and excessive exploitation.

The unions demanded the disbandment of both committees and the unconditional release of all impounded trucks within three days, failing which they would withdraw their services.

At a meeting held at the MWUN secretariat, the unions lamented that the two committees had deviated from their mandate of easing traffic congestion, instead engaging in indiscriminate truck seizures and extortion. They alleged that impounded trucks were subjected to exorbitant fines ranging between ₦200,000 and ₦400,000, often paid into private accounts instead of government-designated accounts.

A communiqué issued at the end of the meeting detailed incidents of alleged extortion and violence. It stated, “On Thursday, February 20, 2025, at Area B Apapa, members of the committees, alongside a contingent of street urchins acting on their behalf, attacked a group of haulage truck owners, drivers, and stakeholders on transit along the Apapa Port Road. This attack led to grievous bodily injuries, with one victim currently struggling for his life in the hospital. The matter is being handled by the Area ‘B’ Police Station.”

The unions further alleged that, in the early hours of February 23, members of the Abandoned Vehicle Committee invaded Unity Bonded Terminal, hijacking over 100 trucks from drivers waiting in line to drop empty containers, falsely tagging them as abandoned.

They also raised concerns over the committees’ disproportionate focus on maritime truckers along the Apapa Port access roads and Oshodi-Apapa Expressway. “It appears there is a deliberate effort to cripple the haulage sector, which significantly contributes to Nigeria’s GDP and Lagos State’s economy,” the communiqué stated.

The unions highlighted how the committees’ activities were sabotaging port operations, disrupting the ease of doing business, and causing financial losses for truckers due to aborted trips. Importers and exporters, they noted, were also incurring additional costs from document revalidations due to arbitrary truck impoundments.

“Many factories and companies have been forced to suspend operations due to the inability to receive imported materials on time, as a result of truck hijackings by the Abandoned Vehicle Committee,” the unions stated.

They issued a three-day ultimatum, expiring Wednesday, February 26, 2025, for their demands to be met. “If the authorities fail to address our concerns and dissolve these two committees, we will embark on an industrial action and withdraw the services of all our members across the state,” the unions warned.