Some youths in Lagos State, under the aegis of the Citizens’ Intervention for Collective Humanity (CICH), have begun to mount road signs on busy roads, warning motorists against using designated Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) lanes, and faulting the government for not mounting them earlier.
FIJ saw a video on X, showing two men holding up a sign that read ‘Do Not Enter’. These men said they were in Abule Egba, and policemen in that area of Lagos were in the habit of laying ambush for motorists and extorting money off those who use the lanes despite the absence of a clear road sign.
Segun O’Law, one of the youths, says in the video: “This is a federal road apparently, but the state has put a BRT [lane] there, and as a result, you will notice that if you enter here, some police officers are waiting ahead.
Citizens begin mounting road signs to defeat police extortion in Nigeria 😂🔥 pic.twitter.com/qmmFL5ZvC8— Oyindamola🙄 (@dammiedammie35) January 29, 2025
“Because the government will not do it, we will do it for ourselves. This is (he points to the signpost CICH produced) ‘Do Not Enter’. We are encouraging everyone, wherever you are, let us look out for ourselves. We will put this one here, let us hope they don’t remove it.”
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He goes on to explain that the “government has failed to do their responsibility” and the police were waiting to extort people.
Another unnamed young man appears afterwards to say the police use unmarked minivans, known popularly as korope, to hide in wait for motorists who unsuspectingly enter the wrong lanes.
Nigerian drivers have over the years lamented the absence of road signs in several locations across the country. In 2022, a report highlighted how poor road signage contributed to road crashes, further establishing the need for more attention in this regard.
In August 2023, residents of Port Harcourt in Rivers State complained over the lack of road signs and demarcation at the Rukpokwu to Igwruta axis.
On Wednesday, FIJ called Olusegun Ogungbemide, the spokesman for the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), but he did not take our calls. He had not responded to FIJ’s message at press time.
The post VIDEO: Tired of Police Extortion, Lagos Youths Mount Road Signs to Help Motorists appeared first on Foundation For Investigative Journalism.