Residents of Magodo and Isheri communities in the Ikosi-Isheri Local Council Development Area of Lagos State have lamented the violent activities of a band of youths involved in extortion in the communities.
They said the youths, allegedly backed by the traditional ruler of Isheri village, Baale Alfred Bankole, and the native ruler of Magodo village, Baale Jimoh Shobowale, stationed themselves at the Magodo GRA gate as well as other access spots into the two communities, where they extort money from dispatch riders, haulage trucks, and other vehicles coming into the area.
Residents of the two communities recounted sordid tales of violence unleashed by the area boys on members of the public who refused to part with their money in the name of toll collection.
Our correspondent sighted N200, N500, and N1,000 tickets issued by the area boys to haulage trucks and commercial vehicles coming into the communities.
A community member, Abiodun Aminu, told Saturday PUNCH that the illegal toll collection by the area boys had lasted over five years while bloody fights were recorded daily at the gates as a result of the violent disposition of the area boys.
He said, “The challenge we have here is that some people have decided to collect toll from every vehicle owner at the gate and it is causing crisis at the gate every day. Even if you go out to buy a pin outside and you are coming in, you’ll be told to pay. Some pay N200, N250, N500, N1,000 depending on what a vehicle is bringing in and this causes a lot of crisis.
“They collect toll from commercial vehicle drivers; those coming in with building blocks, electronics, other commodities. They recently molested a dispatch rider and the dispatch company dealt with them, but they still haven’t stopped and this is not ideal because they apply force to extort money from vehicle owners.
“We have met with them several times to express our dissatisfaction; we have met them as Central Community Development Association, Magodo Phase 1. We have met them, persuaded them and even offered a cheque of N250,000 to give them every year, but they kept dilly-dallying because they don’t want to leave the gate.
“There are two Baales (village heads) involved and it has been causing a lot of challenges. It is better for the state to be aware before it becomes a bigger issue.”
Asked whether the matter had been reported to the police, Aminu said, “Even the police are helpless in this situation because they can’t deny seeing the boys collecting toll from residents.”
Also, the Chairman, Magodo GRA Resident Association, Otunba Atoyebi Oyeleke, told Saturday PUNCH that all efforts to stop the area boys and negotiate with the traditional rulers of Magodo and Isheri were rebuffed as the toll collectors maintained their stranglehold on the two communities.
Oyeleke said, “Magodo Phase 1 wrongly has same gates for the Government Reserved Area and the two villages, thus making it cumbersome to control the influx of people into the neighbourhood.
“Several efforts by the GRA in the past years to placate them were never respected as they insisted on collecting tolls at the gates.”
He said the insistence and coercive actions of the area boys had continued to cause unrest in the communities.
Oyeleke added that peace talks had been held in the past with the two traditional rulers in the communities, adding that they (traditional rulers) refused to sign a document to the effect that toll collection would be stopped at the two gates.
He also said the two Baales had consistently kicked against the idea of mounting standard iron gates at the two entrances to ward off miscreants who were always taking advantage of the violent acts of the area boys to perpetrate crimes.
When contacted, the Baale of Isheri told Saturday PUNCH that toll collection had been in existence in his communities since ages.
Baale Bankole said, “They are lying because the gate has been there for long; they met it there and the CDA at Isheri and Magodo town collects toll from heavy-duty vehicles carrying loads from there, but they said they don’t want it and we sat down and asked them to make arrangement between themselves and come back to know what they can do.
“Even the Baale of Magodo was in talks with them. On the second day, we heard that they want to erect a gate. I don’t know why they want to erect any gate; we have freedom of movement even in the constitution of Nigeria.
“Between Magodo and Isheri, we have two roads – Magodo Road in Isheri and Bankole Street in Isheri and for the two, they want to erect gates and restrict our movement. They want to separate us from Magodo and other people. It is not possible.”
On the offer by the CDA to end toll collection, he said, “They brought it (the document proposing N250,000 to be paid per annum) and myself and the Baale of Magodo met and said we would discuss about it and tell them whatever we agree on. But they never waited for that.”
He added, “We asked them to wait for Magodo people and Isheri people to sit down and discuss about it.”
The village head of Magodo, who also spoke with Saturday PUNCH, denied that the proceeds on toll collection made by the area boys were remitted to him.
Baale Shobowale said, “We, the traditional rulers in Magodo and Isheri know nothing about the gate and we did not put any boy at the gate to collect tolls. I don’t know anything about toll collection. The main gate is for every one of us.”
He also said he could not agree to the offer by the CDA, saying, “How can I sign the document when I didn’t hold a meeting with them?”
On the way forward, he said, “The CDA should hold a meeting with me and the Baale of Isheri on how to man the gate. It is not a difficult issue.”
The Chairman of Magodo GRA Resident Association (Oyeleke) appealed to the Babajide Sanwo-Olu government for intervention, saying the illegal toll collection by the area boys was encouraging crimes in the area.
