By The Merit Newspaper
AJAH, LAGOS — Tricycle operators plying the Ajah-Langbasa-Badore route in Lagos State have decried what they described as daily extortion by agents purportedly working for the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) department of the Eti-Osa East Local Council Development Area (LCDA).
Despite being issued daily tickets marked N100, multiple drivers allege they are forced to pay as much as N2,100 to the IGR collectors.
During a visit by The Merit Newspaper to the axis on Tuesday, June 24, 2025, our correspondent witnessed tricycle drivers handing over large sums of money to ticket agents along the busy Ajah corridor. The situation has triggered tension between drivers and passengers over increased fares.
A driver who spoke under the condition of anonymity said, “Passengers complain that the fare from Ajah to Langbasa is too high at N400. But what they don’t know is that we are overburdened by daily charges from the council’s revenue collectors.”
He listed the mandatory daily payments as follows:
Booking fee: N1,000
“Marker” fee: Between N100 and N400, depending on the officer
Ticket labeled N100: Paid at a fixed sum of N2,100
According to him, “All these daily taxes force us to raise our fares. A drop-off at Akins or Okeira Nla now costs N300, and Langbasa passengers pay N400. We’re not happy about it, but it’s the only way to survive.”
Another driver, also requesting anonymity, described the practice as “ungodly and illegal,” questioning the authenticity of the collectors and the complicity of the LCDA.
“We don’t know if this extortion is being sanctioned by the chairman or if some unscrupulous workers are sabotaging the system. But the receipt says N100, and they collect N2,100. That’s broad-day robbery,” he lamented.
While many drivers point fingers at the LCDA officials, some residents believe the drivers themselves are to blame for allowing the practice to persist.
A commuter, Mrs. Shakirat Agunbiade, told The Merit Newspaper, “The drivers should resist this extortion and report it. Their silence makes them accomplices. You can’t expect passengers to pay exorbitantly and not question the system.”
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Another passenger, Mr. John Kayode, a civil servant who boards tricycles daily from Ajah to Badore, shared a different perspective. He said, “To be fair, the drivers have a valid point. If they are truly paying over two thousand naira in council levies daily, then fares will naturally go up. But the local government must investigate this and stop these outrageous collections. The common man is suffering on both sides — the drivers and the passengers.”
Repeated attempts by The Merit Newspaper to reach officials of the Eti-Osa East LCDA for comment have so far been unsuccessful. Calls and messages sent to both members of the executive and legislative members were not returned as of the time of filing this report.
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This development raises critical concerns about transparency, accountability, and the enforcement of taxation in Lagos State’s local council system.
