Drivers of petrol tankers under the tag of Petrol Tanker Drivers (PTD), have sent a Save Our Soul (SOS) appeal to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
The appeal follows the nasty experiences they have been encountering at the hands of both officials of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) and the state task force at the Ibeju Lekki Free Trade Zone.
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The drivers, who rely on Dangote Refineries and Pinnacle Oil and Gas for parking space inorder to be able to load petroleum products and transport to various destinatios, claim they have been relentlessly targeted by officers of LASTMA.
Recalling a recent incident, they revealed that at approximately 2:00 AM on Saturday, February 22, 2025, LASTMA officials, allegedly in collusion with policemen from the state tax force and thugs launched a violent incursion into the Lekki Free Trade Zone and towed away several trucks, while arresting some drivers.
The drivers wondered why the state government agents are trying to scuffle loading activity in Dangote Refinery, asking if they are angry with Aliko Dangote or if they want fuel scarcity to resurface in the state.
One of the drivers who spoke anonymously said, “Because of a ban on night driving by our union for safety reasons, we parked many of the trucks we loaded at night on a single lane to continue our journey the next morning, but we were shocked when LASTMA stormed the place and started towing our trucks”.
According to an eyewitnesses who gave his name as Nathan Joseph, law enforcement operatives forcefully towed tanker vehicles, arrested drivers, and even fired shots sporadically into the air. He noted that the onslaught lasted for about two hours and it has left many questioning the true motive behind the operation.
This is not the first time that there would be reports of LASTMA allegedly accompanied by thugs and Lagos task force, storming tanker drivers’ locations and forcefully towing them
In the past, such incidents have occurred in Mile 2, Apapa, Ibeju Lekki, and other areas.
The latest development has however seen the duo of the Lagos State Commissioner of Transport, Oluwaseun Osiyemi and the Special Adviser to the Governor on Transportation, Sola Giwa being indicted.
The drivers allege the duo along with their associates of a systematic campaign of harassment, intimidation, and extortion via an E-Call up that has seen them paying N12, 500 per truck before loading, adding that no such payment was discussed in past town hall meetings organized by the state transportation agencies.
They also noted that if their ability to deliver petroleum products to designated filling stations is compromised, the entire blame should rest on LASTMA, Osiyemi and Giwa.
However, the state government has described the “E-Call up” as an avenue to avoid the build-up of traffic congestion like Apapa.
Lagos State government is yet to issue an official response on the development.
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