EVERY BUS STOP IN LAGOS NIGERIA IS A BUSINESS CENTRE

Definitely, every bus stop in Lagos metropolis is a business centre with obvious transactions going on among major players while members of the public are their victims. Is that the practice elsewhere in the world? Keen observers can identify the method and pattern of transactions that go on at our bus stops in Lagos and the government of Lagos state cannot claim ignorance even the Federal government of Nigeria should be aware of this dangerous development. This write up is a product of keen observation of the happening at our bus stops after plying Lagos roads for more than twenty years. Who are the stakeholders or major players at these bus stop business centres? So many players and I shall endeavour to identify some of them. They are: "Agberos" best described as street urchins. They intersect security agencies, transport unions, sellers of different products that ranged from alcohols and other intoxicating drinks and materials, passengers, beggars, government workers in charge of cleaning, tricycle riders, motor cycle riders and some miscreants (those freelancing street urchins). They are known by everyone that patronises commercial vehicles in Lagos metropolis but not everyone understands their work mechanisms. You can identify most of them as their appearances reveal their true identity-wearing of rags, dirty clothes, rubber/Dunlop sandals, walking bare feet; and hair unkempt. As a Lagosian (resident of Lagos City, Commercial centre of Nigeria) I wonder how the city can be kept safe with the kind of things happening at our bus stops every day. A lot of illegal activities are being perpetrated at our bus stops that very many people may not take note of. The players at the bus stop have a ‘language’ of their own that is not understood by everyone. They get trained on the job and are deployed to places where they perform different duties. They operate with aggression that only someone on drugs can afford. Duties include collection of illegal tolls from motorists, looking out for anyone during dark hours whose vehicle breaks down in order to harass and collect money from them, waylay anyone walking the street at night and sometimes they help members of Nigerian Union of Road transport workers (NURTW) to perform toll collection roles. Collection of tolls takes place mainly at the major bus stops but also could extend to other places within the metropolis. Honestly, they are not friends of the society. They have hierarchy and unwritten rules that guide their activities and so administer discipline to erring members according to those rules. The rules are unwritten and are administered by the leader of the group according to his whims and caprices who demands strict adherence from members. Every member of the group knows his position and dare not exceed his limits as disciplinary action most times is by severe beating, death or total exclusion. These indeed are interesting places. From a study I carried out I found they have both male and female members who are young Nigerians from different parts of Nigeria who seek means of livelihood before they are coerced, cajoled or recruited. Age of new entrants could range from ten (10) to thirty five (35) years and old members could be as old as fifty five (55) to sixty five (65) years. It is rare and doubtful if they can be older. I recommend a deeper study to reveal this group of people but this can be successful by experienced researchers with backing from Lagos state government. Unfortunately, any individual who wants to carry out an in-depth study should be ready to face risk to his life. There is no physical structure they could be identified with but they are well integrated into the society. Agberos are always awake and on the move as they run shift to carry out their activities. The major places of activities are bus stops except when they are hired to carry out task outside their domains. Where do their members sleep if they need to? The following places have been identified: hiding places at the bus stops, uncompleted buildings, motor mechanic workshops where vehicles under repair provide free spaces to have a night sleep which usually last as few as three (3) hours, some hiding places within a street, and sometimes in a building that is managed by some of their accomplices who collect daily fee of fifty Naira (#50) for a space (bare floor) to lay and sleep. These buildings are not usually finished most times, no windows but sometimes partly completed. What are their contributions to crime committal and escape, to noise and environmental pollutions, to health and well-being of the population? They keep sellers of different alcoholic products in business and they also have fun too. Sellers of pirated musical and video Compact disc (CD) remain in business because of their heavy patronages. They are easy tools in the hands of kidnappers, terrorists, murderers, and ritualists while they have been reported to have taken part in robbery activities, a business I thought supplement proceeds from toll collection. They defecate anywhere around the bus stop whenever they are pressed, patronise food vendors around the bus tops, hardly washes their clothes and if there is need they fetch water from the drainage. They patronize local herbal sellers when they are sick, mate with partners within the same vicinity. Sexually transmitted diseases spread freely as hospital is hardly a destination of choice when they are sick. Watch television at local stalls around bus stop where they purchase CDs. They were formerly members of responsible families but some ran away from home as a result of recalcitrance, search for means of living, poverty and deceit to join a new family of hoodlum. From the meaning of agberos (a Yoruba word) they help drivers call the attention of commuters to different destinations and so encourage passengers into their vehicles. This objective was long defeated as they now compel drivers to do their bidding, collect money by force and harass them at will. They work with transport unions and in some cases may eventually get recruited into the unions. They have been seen collecting different monies on behalf of other stake holders like the police and the joint security forces under the coordination of transport unions. Alcohol sellers are kept in business and are ready tools in committal of crimes and escape. They are armed with dangerous weapons like screw driver, broken bottles, knives etc to unleash terror on their victims. There is hierarchy and the top command resides with the heads and sub heads of the unions. Information had it that they have strong links with the government of the day. They have even been suspected to have strong connection with security forces. No single individual or group can easily withstand their strength as they are strong enough to resist opposition to their interest. They are the menace in our cities but are also visible in others towns around the country. May I also add that Lagos metropolis is marked out into territories so no Agbero dare crosses to domains that he does not belong. Generally, rules can have fundamental similarities among different domains but there can also be some differences. This is why no member dare crosses to places that he does not belong to despite that Agberos share similar appearances and despite that they do not have documented record of identity. Government can get rid of these menaces but how prepared are they? Lagos city is definitely under threat and the populace knows it but is helpless. I hope the government will rise to this need so that law abiding citizens will breath breathes of freedom.