Thread by @OgbeniAyoola

LAGOS-IBADAN Expressway: The New Gold Mine of Security Operatives.

A friend of mine who just came back from Lagos despite the heavy ban on interstate travel narrated how it was rigorous getting to Ibadan and how motorists bribed their way through to and fro.

1/21

As one who believes in taking a leap always, I felt it would be worth going through. On a sunny bright Thursday afternoon, my journey began.
I got to Iwo road and was lucky enough to see a bus half filled,got in and it was announced to me that the fare was a thousand naira.

2/21

At 1pm, we got moving and bade bye to the ancient city of Ibadan and headed to Lagos.

The first encounter was when we almost got to Imolisa village, an area very close to Onigari along Lagos/Ibadan Expressway.

The conductor announced to us that we all have to be on our..

3/21

...nose masks as we are approaching a checkpoint. I couldn't get hold of mine where I kept it, I had to quickly purchase one as there are roadside sellers who has made that area another cool source of livelihood.

The driver told everyone to alight as we have to walk through...

I got down only to see about 50 of these type of buses lined up and passengers walking distance to await the time their buses would be free. It was a very hot afternoon under the scorching sun, we left our bus and I joined other passengers as we all walk in direction of...

5/21

...others. On getting to the front where it seems somewhat like a roadblock, I could see it was a joint operation of @PoliceNG, @FRSCNigeria and the Civil Defence.
I queried a woman who seem to be a regular of the route during the lockdown order and she informed that...

6/21

...they are just going to collect a token from them and let us leave. Oh! Wow! That easy!? Were the comments that got me and alas, a police officer, E. O Sunday which I later identified as an officer of Ogun State ran towards us and started shouting that we all walk further.
7/21

We waited for about 30minutes until it reached the turn of our bus which we later caught up with at Ogunmakin market. We got moving again and I queried our driver, he mentioned paying #1,500 saying that's the least amount they'd collect from them.

8/21

Our next stop was the middle toll gate (toll gate àárín). This time, we didn't get down. It was officers of @FRSCNigeria alone this time. We were the next in line to be attended to and alas, I saw a road safety corp brought out POS Machine to the man whose car was in front

9/21

...of ours and collected the bribe through that! I was wowed! Our bus gave him #500 and we moved. At that point, I started having headache and the reality of how bad and how porous our systems are in the country dawned on me.

10/21

At last, we are here! We passed the Ibafo bridge and we got stuck in a traffic. The driver announced we had be taking a diversion that the traffic was due to the LASTMA @followlastma and @rrslagos767 police officers inspect all buses entering into Lagos. Fine!

11/21

If they are inspecting, why are we diverting? His reply was "Èló le san ti e fe ki won dami duo? Mii ni five tousan o" (How much did I collect as fares that you want me to be inspected? I don't have #5000 to pay) the driver said as he hurriedly detoured and changed course.

12/21

We got to Beggar, Lagos some minutes past 5pm in the evening.

My journey back to Ibadan was somewhat easy. That morning, I took an #800 bus headed to Ibadan from Berger. The journey was smooth compared to entering Lagos. We didn't get to meet checkpoints until we passed Imolisa.

Just a few distance to the first checkpoint we met while going to Lagos. This time, it was also a joint operation of the @oyostategovt police officers and civil defence. We were all asked to drop from the bus and walk down again as we expect our buses to meet with us.

13/21

We waited for about 15 minutes and about 20 buses were released after delaying their journey and comfortably taking a bribe of #1,500 each from the least of them. When the driver informed me, I smiled and we finally got to our destination and I headed to my home.

14/21

This journey opened my eye to some obvious reality. The security operatives manning every of these points are not concerned about the negative effect at which the pandemic has hit the country at large so far their own stomach are fed. It is an undoubted truth that the...

15/21

...recent increase in the confirmed #COVID19 cases in Oyo state can be related back to how free it is to move from the pandemic stricken Lagos state into Oyo. The self-centred officers put in place to ensure the interstate ban is achieved are major contributors...

16/21

...to this cause. Just yesterday, Oyo state recorded over 100 cases of #COVID19 in the state which is the first of it's kind since the inception of the pandemic. We have officers of the law who are meant to ensure proper sanity are the ones who have in turn, turned...

17/21

...the interstate travel ban into a source of income by taking bribes and endangering thousand of lives of Nigerians. This is appalling and devastating. However, my head can't even calculate how much would be the income of these officers per day on this route considering..

18/21

...the number of buses and cars who takes the route everyday. Let's calculate #1500 in about 700 places and see how bad we have really sunk. Care to calculate the #5000 too? Chuckles. This furthered affirmed the need for a proper and a more sane country and conscious...

19/21

...citizens who had take duties as a clarion call. I hereby call on the concerned authorities of the three concerned states to take an immediate action to curtail further spread of the virus. I do hope that this would be done in no time.

CC: @oyostategovt @seyiamakinde

20/21

@FeedbackOYSG @rrslagos767 @followlasg @jidesanwoolu @dabiodunMFR.

The better country is in our respective hands and let's push for it.

Cheers!
Hamid Fatteh Olaniyi

21/21