Strange Encounters on Lagos Roads

Dipo Kehinde/

Traffic Wardens Tamper with Traffic Lights to Entrap Motorists

Times are tough. Take that as given. But some Nigerians out there are determined to make life more unbearable for fellow citizens, especially motorists on Lagos roads.

I’ve had some strange encounters this week on Lagos roads. The first was at the roundabout on the Ojodu-Berger end of Oba Ogunji Road, where traffic wardens have twisted the traffic light out of sight, flushed against a fence, in a bid to entrap motorists. Before now, if you were negotiating the roundabout that has a foot statue or you were driving towards it, you would clearly see the bright beam of the traffic light telling you what to do with red, yellow, and green color staring at you in turn. There’s a traffic light pole serving motorists from every point, right ahead of them, at the intersection. The one serving outbound motorists on Oba Ogunji/Limpson Road has been tampered with.

Now, this visual signal at one side of the road has been tampered with; mischievously turned away and drivers don’t see the light to know when to stop or move on. As you move on, traffic wardens hiding somewhere ahead with some plainclothes guys will move in on you. Then, negotiation for payment of a fine will start. LASTMA officials will stay close by.

When I noticed what was going on, I parked my car to challenge them as they converged on a man whose car had just been stopped. I pointed out that the positioning of the traffic light has been tampered with. A Traffic Warden, those guys we call Yellow-Fever, acted as if he was surprised. All of them looked toward the traffic light to see what I was talking about. Then, the traffic warden said, “Ha! I get what you’re saying.” They immediately asked the arrested motorist to go.

I was there the next day and found out that they were still in business.

Somebody must stop them.

Marauders Rule on ACME Road

My second encounter was on ACME Road, Ogba, where a bunch of funny-looking guys with weathered faces parked a towing vehicle along the road and unlawfully pounced on motorists for just driving by. They were led by a heavily built man wielding a walkie-talkie, but a trained eye will easily see that these are touts. They wore plain clothes and put reflective jackets on.

One of them will just point to a car on the road, the others will rush to stop the driver and threaten to impound the car. Apparently, there’s a monkey business going on here and the authorities must move fast to stop it. Motorists are being robbed on that road.

I saw them in action on Tuesday. I encountered them again today as I was driving along the road. They jumped in front of me as I slowly approached a speed-breaker on the road. There were three of them on the ground with two others in the Land Rover Discovery towing van moving toward me. I rolled down my side windows and shouted out: “Who are you guys? What’s your business here?”

They beat a fast retreat. I moved on, then turned around to take a video shot of them.

We need a covert police team combing Lagos roads to stop such marauding gangs and clear the roads of peculiar mess.

The Lagos Taskforce team once arrested some touts doing the same thing last year, or so, in the Oshodi area of Lagos. It was widely publicized.

Victims of these marauders are encouraged to share their experiences with NewsmakersNG.

Readers are also encouraged to share this report until action is taken.

Dipo’s Diary, a commentary on social issues, is written by multiple-awards-winning journalist, Dipo Kehinde, in the style of a master of the art of the pen – the late Chief Victor Olabisi Onabanjo of the Aiyekooto series in the Daily Service, Daily Express, and the Nigerian Tribune from 1954 till 1989. Like the Aiyekooto series, Dipo’s Diary will spare no subject. It will exhibit profound candor, concern, wit, incisiveness, and forthrightness. Watch out for more.