By Praise Afolabi
At Mowe bus stop, the daily soundtrack isn’t just blaring horns and hurried footsteps. It’s the bark of touts – known as agberos – who have turned the busy transport hub into a battleground.
For bus drivers, passing through means surrendering cash. “Loading fees,” “union charges” – the labels vary, but the cash rarely heads anywhere official. Refuse to pay, and a driver risks being surrounded, insulted, or even assaulted. Some touts block buses outright until money changes hands.
The chaos is nothing unusual. Like many other busy spots across Lagos and Ogun states, Mowe bus stop has become synonymous with disorder. But Mowe is of particular concern because it falls under Obafemi Owode Local Government in Ogun State – a state that must now bring sanity to the area before things spiral further.
The madness goes beyond extortion. At rush hour, touts shout, shove, and drag passengers into vehicles, sometimes clashing violently over territory. These scuffles often spill into the road, snarling traffic and frightening commuters.
Passengers are the biggest losers. Drivers recoup their losses by hiking fares. Journeys are delayed. Tempers flare. And every trip through Mowe feels like running a gauntlet.
The roots of the menace lie deep: unemployment, lax enforcement, and the quiet complicity of unions and local power brokers. Crackdowns happen – but like clockwork, the touts return.
If Ogun State is serious about restoring order, it must enforce anti-extortion laws, regulate transport unions, and create real jobs for restless youths. Until then, agberos will keep ruling the road – and commuters will keep paying the price in cash and peace of mind.
