Almost on a daily basis,, scruffy looking touts, known in local Yoruba language parlance as ‘Agbero” prowl the sides of major roads in the FCT, harassing and extorting motorists.
Sometimes, their recklessness results in fatalities.
For example, on September 3, a man, his wife and their children lost their lives in an accident at the Mabushi Bridge, Abuja, due to the activities of roadside touts.
Accounts from eyewitnesses revealed that the man, driving a private vehicle with his family, had stopped to pick another relative at the Berger Roundabout, an action the touts interpreted as a violation of their rules.
The FCT police spokesperson, Josephine Adeh, said that preliminary investigations revealed that the grey Toyota Highlander driven by the man was forcefully taken over by three men near Berger Junction, Utako.
“The vehicle reportedly lost control during a struggle for the steering wheel, veered off, and hit a parked Mazda that eventually somersaulted into a bridge pillar.
“Ehekweme, his wife, and two of the suspected assailants were confirmed dead on arrival at the National Hospital, Abuja; a third person is said to be receiving treatment.
“The driver of the Mazda, identified as Suleman Mohammed, sustained no life-threatening injuries,” the police said.
This sad story seems to be the trend in Abuja, envisioned as Nigeria’s model city — clean, orderly, and free from the chaos typical of unplanned urban centers.
Unfortunately, this rising wave of touting and street harassment across major parks, markets, motor terminals, and junctions has become a threat to this vision.
From Berger to Area 1, Nyanya to Zuba, the activities of touts have become an everyday reality for residents and visitors.
Touting in Abuja manifests in many forms; at motor parks, commuters are harassed by groups of young men forcefully dragging luggage, shouting destinations, and demanding illegal levies.
Around markets and bus stops, self-appointed “ticket agents” collect daily charges from commercial drivers and traders, often with threats and physical intimidation.
Therefore, what was once an isolated nuisance has become a systemic problem.
Recounting his ordeal in their hands, Mr Mike Samson, a civil servant, said he had picked his colleague from the office after work going to Kubwa.
He said that when he stopped for her to alight around Jahi junction, some touts moved closer to his car and took his key.
“Before I knew what was happening, the person that took my key crossed over and disappeared. They claimed I violated the FCT rules and had to pay some money.
“I kept dragging back and forth with them till I negotiated to pay them N3,000 before they brought back my car key,” he said.
A resident of Zuba, Miss Favour Okibe, recounted her experience.
“You cannot board a vehicle at Zuba or Nyanya without being harassed. Some touts demand ‘loading fees’ even from passengers; they claim they got the vehicle for you so you have to pay them
“It is embarrassing that this is happening in the nation’s capital,” she said.
Mr Usman Zango, a trader residing in Lugbe, said one of his customers had asked him to deliver some items to her; so, she could pick them by the road.
“As soon as I got to the bus stop where she was to collect the items, some men rushed into my car threatening to take me to their station for violating traffic rules.
“I told them I was ready to go with them, but they instantly began to prevail on me to just pay them to save me from paying higher money when they take me to their office.
“I had to just give them some money to leave my car,’’ he said .
It has been argued by some experts that the menace of touting is not merely a law enforcement issue but a symptom of deeper socioeconomic challenges.
They say it is because many of the young men involved are unemployed, under-educated, and lack vocational skills.
Driven by desperation and the need to survive, they resort to illegal “levy collection” and street domination as a means of livelihood.
Mr Emmanuel Oloniruha, a civil servant, offered some advice.
“Those people are terrible; they attack you; even when passengers are just alighting, they harass you. Sometimes, they even pretend to be passengers seeking help; as soon as you stop they will rush you,” he said.
Oloniruha said some touting activities are linked to transport unions that operate outside official frameworks.
He advised that the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) should ensure unions are registered, transparent, and accountable for their members’ conduct.
Oloniruha also encouraged resisting illegal levies and reporting harassment.
