How a Lagos tout fell off from a trailer during extortion and died

It has been reported that an empty trailer, with number plates XA 140 DAH, Kogi, heading towards Apapa in the early hours of Monday, was accosted by one of the hoodlums who demanded N5,000 from the driver, after which the sad event took place. THE timely intervention of the Police, Monday, prevented the breakdown of law and order at Berger Yard Bus Stop on Oshodi-Apapa Expressway as hoodlums threatened to burn a trailer alleged to have killed one of them. According to Vanguard, An eyewitness said the deceased, one of the hoodlums engaged by some uniformed men to collect illegal fee from drivers, had climbed the trailer to demand N5,000 from the driver, while it was still in motion.

The witness said: “The driver of the trailer was heading towards Apapa when this area boy jumped onto it, asking the driver to give him N5,000. The trailer was still in motion, when all of a sudden he lost his grip and fell off, hitting his head on the road. He was hanging on the passenger side of the trailer. “Immediately it happened, the driver took to his heels and disappeared from the scene before hoodlums, who came to the scene earlier, took advantage of the situation to vandalise the trailer, carting away the batteries. “They also deflated the tyres. They were planning to burn the trailer before the Police came in from Kirikiri Police Station.”

However, one of the private security guards, who works at the popular Berger Bridge Car Mart, said the dead man has nothing to do with uniform men, adding that “he is a member of the gang that extort money from motorists on the pretext of being area boys. “Nobody sent them; they have their own leaders and after collecting these monies, they share it among themselves. Those that collect on behalf of the council wear vest with an inscription on it. “These ones are on their own. Because of the lawlessness in Lagos, nobody can stop them.” The corpse was reportedly taken away by Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC, while the trailer was towed to Kirikiri Police Division.