Shippers’ Council, FRSC To End Hoodlums’ Extortion, Attack On Port Access Roads

The Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) and Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), on Wednesday, sought the intervention of the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), over destruction of their trucks and molestation of drivers by state and non- state actors on the port access road.

Speaking at a one day sensitization programme organised by the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) in collaboration with FRSC titled, ‘Safe-To-Load On Nigerian Roads’, held in Lagos, the FRSC Corps Marshal, Shehu Mohammed, said issue of extortion and destruction of trucks by hoodlums should be unanimously addressed.

According to the corp marshal, the truck industry should be cleaner and more attractive for investors to invest and reap dividends of their investment.

He said, “The haulage business is contributing to the economic development of the country, I think we need to also work together to bring the issue forward to the relevant authorities such as the office of the  National Security Adviser, and other relevant bodies that can make the environment, the space cleaner and more attractive for other haulage business investors that want to come in to be able to invest and reap their investment without hindrance,” he stated.

Also speaking on the issue, the executive secretary of the NSC, Barr. Pius Akutah, said the council is currently engaging security agencies to look into the act of molestation of drivers and destruction of trucks.

According to him, destruction of trucks by hoodlums should not be treated with kid gloves as it needed to be tackled head-on.

“On the issue of vandalisation of vehicles, these are issues that are very important because we cannot listen to those kinds of challenges and allow them to just be. These are issues that we need to tackle head on. We cannot afford to have players in this sector who invest so much resources in these infrastructures to support economic activities, and we have hoodlums out there who set out to destroy and extort truck drivers and also to destroy this infrastructure.

“Though, it can be a truck owned by just one person, but once it is operating within the value chain of the transport infrastructure to support trade and economic activities, it has become a critical infrastructure for us to look into the welfare and the security of these infrastructures. So I guarantee you that the Nigerian Shippers’ Council will not slip over these issues.

“We will do everything we can to engage all the stakeholders and security agencies to see what we can do in terms of providing the security for this infrastructure. This issue, I understand, was also raised at some other forums. But today, I guarantee you that we will take all the discussions conclusively and see what we can do,” he assured the truckers.

Speaking earlier, the secretary-general, Association of Maritime Truck Owners (AMATO), Muhammed Sani, had sought the support of the council over incessant attacks on their drivers and trucks by hoodlums and non-state actors.

According to Sani, between January to August 2024, about six fatal accidents were induced by the activities of hoodlums on the port access roads.

He said, “Shippers Council should assist truck owners to address insecurity against drivers in delivering cargoes to owners warehouse, state and non- state actors are seen vandalising our trucks by smashing our windscreens and in lost cases destroying the our truck braking system thereby leading to crashes just to extort the drivers.

“Between January and August 2024, over six trucks fell leading to losses of several billions of naira. We need the support of NSC, ONSA, because the sector is eroding under the activities of hoodlums disrupting the ease of doing business at the ports.

“They are threats to the Nigerian economy and the haulage business and the earlier we have interventions, the better for the sector,” Sani stated.