Vincent Toritseju
Lagos — There was pandemonium yesterday at the Coconut Tin-Can Island Port as hoodlums attacked members of the Lagos State Cargo and Transport Committee, LASTCOC, killing one and injuring several others.
Confirming the attack to our Correspondent, a member of the Committee, Mr. Seyi Adekanbi said they were on their way to the Tin-Can port to sensitive users of the port corridor on the need to clear the road and allow for free flow of traffic for commencement of rehabilitation works on the Ijora end of the port access roads.
Although, the identity of the deceased could not be ascertained at the time of filling this report, according to Adekanbi, the corpse had been deposited at the Mortuary.
Adekanbi said barely five minutes after their arrival, hoodlums and extortionists along that axis came with all kinds of weapons including guns, knives and cutlasses to attack them because the criminal elements saw them as disturbing their illegal toll collection from truck.
Further confirming the development, the President of the Council of Maritime Truck Unions and Associations, COMTUA Mr. Adeyinka Aroyewun said the war between various trucking groups to outdo each other on the collection of illegal tolls was the reason for the attack.
Aroyewun also said that attempts by various groups to impose what he described as illegal fees called “Harmonised Ticket” on the hapless truckers has raised security concerns.
“It is not in doubt that LASTCOC went to Tin-Can but met with resistance. We have made calls to the government and security agencies about the activities of this group (LASTCOC), especially their desperation to impose an illegal ticket on truckers. We advised that it may lead to a crisis and economic hardship. We emphasized the illegal status of this committee, but they have been emboldened by the assurances extracted by their sponsors in the Lagos State Ministry of Transportation.
“That rates, levies, and taxes require legislation makes no sense to the group.
How else can we describe a group that has taken laws into their own hands? Falsely going around arresting people for the same offense they have committed, are committing, or intend to commit. There is only one police force in Nigeria, so, for anybody to assume this posture is reckless and can lead to breaches of public peace, just as it has happened in Tin-Can.
“The committee has been committing criminal infractions, and their sponsors have been shielding them. They go about obstructing traffic by turning trucks of members in the opposing camp to theirs under the guise of checking call-up documents. While other trucks are obeying regulations and queuing for turns, they fly trucks directly to the port. The MPS park, where over hundred pieces of fake number plates were discovered with illegal NPA stickers, is managed by the treasurer of the group, Alhaji Rasaki Igbalaye. Going about in connivance with some paid officers to arrest pseudo-extortionists and mounting their members for the same purpose is their stock in trade.
“A committee of government has created over 30 zones, where over two million has been paid by each zonal chairperson. The group purchased the current status from state officials, and no one is asking questions.
“How else do we describe the audacious stance of an illegal group? On ease of doing business in the port corridor, apart from the statutory wharf landing fee collecting authority, three other committees have been created by the same special adviser to the governor on transportation, with LASTCOC being the most despised to extort money and commit crimes. I am using this medium to advise the government and law enforcement agencies to thoroughly investigate the incident and circumstances leading to deaths and injuries in Tin-Can in order to discourage similar occurrences in the future.”
