COMTUA Accuses LASG, NPA, NPF of Connivance on Ilegal Tickets, Extortions

The management of the COMTUA has indicted the trio of Lagos State Government, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and Nigeria Police Force (NPF) of connivance with some bodies in going against the spirit of a communiqué they recently sealed against any form of highway extortion and or illegal ticketing by any organization.

In a statement issued by COMTUA and signed by its National President, Prince Adeyinka Aroyewun, and made available to media organizations, the association said as follows;

“On 6th September, 2024 we wrote to notify the government and the general public of the dissociation of our group from a proposed withdrawal of service by AMATO AND LASTCOC on the grounds of insincerity and complexity by the initiators of the proposed withdrawal of service. We did not hesitate to mention in our notice of withdrawal areas where the initiators are also extorting truckers. We are pleased that a communiqué was signed by LASG, NPA, and one Remi Ogungbemi (on behalf of the initiators) to end extortion on roads. This we commended with a note of warning that the enforcement must be thorough.

We have been monitoring events, and it has turned out that we were not wrong about our doubts about the insincerity of the Lagos State government, the Nigerian Ports Authority, and the Nigerian Police to rid our roads of crimes.

OUR FINDINGS:

AMATO and LASTCOC, in connivance with the LASG, NPA, and NPF, are only after the NURTW and RTEAN to give protection to AMATO and LASTCOC on their sale of illegal tickets to extort truckers.
The LASG, NPA, and NPF are wishing to impose AMATO on truckers as our umbrella body.
LASG, NPA, and NPF are working to secure a medium for expanding their illicit revenue generation.

The criminal activities of AMATO and LASTCOC cannot be overemphasized, and the connivance of LASG, NPA, and NPF is not hidden on this matter.

RTEAN and NURTW have exited the roads on extortion, but the duo of AMATO and LASTCOC have taken over. We mentioned the selective enforcement to authority, but the police authority looks the other way while crimes such as illegal detention and seizure are taken place by LASTCOC and AMATO against truckers in Amuwo Odofin, Ijora, Eric more, bonded terminals, and garages.
The NPA, LASG, continues to accord false recognition to LASTCOC and AMATO as representatives of truckers to achieve selfish and illegal ends.
The police authority of the state could not hide their personal relationship with members of AMATO AND LASTCOC to obstruct the course of justice in their favor.
Despite the murder of six people in the capital area of Amuwo Odofin on the introduction of tickets in June, LASTCOC on October 17 made another move to impose the same illegal ticket on the same spot. Arrested suspects who were identified as the wanted suspects in a case of murder were released by the FESTAC DPO.
The DPO FESTAC police station, commander TACTICAL Team in Amuwo, refuses to take action when illegality is reported.; they often claim that the Commissioner of Police has not directed.
The fraudulent taskforce set up against extortion on the road is aimed at shielding AMATO and LASTCOC to extort truckers.
The NPA conives with AMATO and LASTCOC to use terminals and approved parks as extortion points.

We have made several reports to all relevant agencies to no avail. The whole world should hold the Lagos State governor, CP Lagos, and the MD Nigerian Ports Authority responsible for any breakdown of law and order in the state.