Commuters travelling along the Iyana-Ipaja/Iyana-Iba axis of Lagos were left stranded on Monday as commercial bus drivers withdrew their services over alleged extortion by law enforcement and transport regulatory agencies.
The drivers reportedly embarked on the strike to protest what they described as incessant extortion by the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), the Police, the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) and members of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), popularly known as agberos.
Some of the drivers who spoke on the development said the alleged extortion had become increasingly unbearable and was making commercial transportation difficult to sustain.
They alleged that LASTMA officials frequently impounded their vehicles, sometimes keeping them for an entire day and causing drivers and vehicle owners to lose their daily income.
According to the drivers, the continued financial burden forced them to withdraw their services as a way of drawing attention to their grievances and demanding an end to the alleged extortion.
The development reportedly left several commuters stranded along the affected routes, with some turning to motorcycles and other alternative means of transportation.