UMAR @Mubbycomm1 - Twitter Profile

3 days ago

Touts Claiming to Be Working for NURTW Exploiting Unsuspecting Nigerians Across Abuja Motor Parks My experience: Earlier today, I was at Area 1 Motor Park to drop off someone who was taking a cab to Lugbe. Immediately after the person alighted from my vehicle, about four touts quickly entered my car. One of them distracted me while another grabbed my car key. Before I could even come down from the vehicle, the key had already changed hands. However, I was able to trace who had it and immediately held on to him. He told me that he had superiors and that I must meet them because I had broken a law. He then took me to someone seated comfortably on what looked like corporate office furniture, with register and other papers including laminated price list bearing the logos of the FCT Police Command and NURTW displayed before him. They informed me that my offence fell under Item No. 4 on the list, attracting a fine of N45,000. I told them I wanted to see the actual law or order from either the Police or the FCT authorities authorizing such a penalty before making any payment. When he pointed to the laminated paper, I explained that a laminated paper could not stand as law. I further told them that if it was truly backed by law, then they should take me to court, secure a conviction, and allow the court to determine whether the punishment should be a fine or even imprisonment. At that point, he started doing gra gra, and I told him to calm down, assuring him that I would make the payment. I added that, however, I would only pay into an official Police or FCT government account. Immediately, all his boys became aggressive, acting as if they wanted to beat me, insisting that “them no dey do am like that here.” An idea quickly came to my head. I told them I had an emergency and needed an account number so I could make the payment immediately. They insisted that payment could only be made through a commercial POS operator. I agreed and followed them to one of the POS operators, but quietly whispered to the POS attendant that I would include his name in the Police report I intended to file immediately. The moment he heard that, he disappeared. Other POS operators around also vanished. When they realized the matter was not going to be simple, an elderly man suddenly appeared from nowhere and stepped in as a mediator (I am sure they called him). I told him that I was willing to make the payment as stipulated by law, but nobody was willing to accept the payment and they were still holding my key. He pulled me aside and started apologizing on their behalf. He admitted that where I parked was not even part of the restricted area and promised to retrieve my key, but pleaded that I should “just find something for the boys.” I told him clearly that I would not pay a kobo before getting my key back. If anyone wanted to give them a gift, it had to be voluntary and without conditions. Eventually, I got my key back without any conditions attached. I am sharing this experience to draw the attention of the FCT Police Command and the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) to what appears to be an organized cartel operating around motor parks in Abuja. Conversations with people around the area confirmed to me that this is the same method allegedly used to exploit unsuspecting Nigerians on a daily basis. Relevant authorities should investigate these activities and protect citizens from extortion disguised as enforcement. MS Ingawa

MSIngawa's tweet photo. Touts Claiming to Be Working for NURTW Exploiting Unsuspecting Nigerians Across Abuja Motor Parks

My experience:

Earlier today, I was at Area 1 Motor Park to drop off someone who was taking a cab to Lugbe. Immediately after the person alighted from my vehicle, about four touts quickly entered my car. One of them distracted me while another grabbed my car key. Before I could even come down from the vehicle, the key had already changed hands. However, I was able to trace who had it and immediately held on to him.

He told me that he had superiors and that I must meet them because I had broken a law.

He then took me to someone seated comfortably on what looked like corporate office furniture, with register and other papers including laminated price list bearing the logos of the FCT Police Command and NURTW displayed before him. They informed me that my offence fell under Item No. 4 on the list, attracting a fine of N45,000.

I told them I wanted to see the actual law or order from either the Police or the FCT authorities authorizing such a penalty before making any payment. When he pointed to the laminated paper, I explained that a laminated paper could not stand as law.

I further told them that if it was truly backed by law, then they should take me to court, secure a conviction, and allow the court to determine whether the punishment should be a fine or even imprisonment.

At that point, he started doing gra gra, and I told him to calm down, assuring him that I would make the payment. I added that, however, I would only pay into an official Police or FCT government account. Immediately, all his boys became aggressive, acting as if they wanted to beat me, insisting that “them no dey do am like that here.”

An idea quickly came to my head. I told them I had an emergency and needed an account number so I could make the payment immediately. They insisted that payment could only be made through a commercial POS operator.

I agreed and followed them to one of the POS operators, but quietly whispered to the POS attendant that I would include his name in the Police report I intended to file immediately. The moment he heard that, he disappeared. Other POS operators around also vanished.

When they realized the matter was not going to be simple, an elderly man suddenly appeared from nowhere and stepped in as a mediator (I am sure they called him).

I told him that I was willing to make the payment as stipulated by law, but nobody was willing to accept the payment and they were still holding my key.

He pulled me aside and started apologizing on their behalf. He admitted that where I parked was not even part of the restricted area and promised to retrieve my key, but pleaded that I should “just find something for the boys.”

I told him clearly that I would not pay a kobo before getting my key back. If anyone wanted to give them a gift, it had to be voluntary and without conditions.

Eventually, I got my key back without any conditions attached.

I am sharing this experience to draw the attention of the FCT Police Command and the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) to what appears to be an organized cartel operating around motor parks in Abuja. Conversations with people around the area confirmed to me that this is the same method allegedly used to exploit unsuspecting Nigerians on a daily basis.

Relevant authorities should investigate these activities and protect citizens from extortion disguised as enforcement.

MS Ingawa

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