Anayo Okoli
27 March 2008
Umuahia — Miscreants, are fast taking over major bus-stops in Umuahia, the Abia state capital, where they extort money from commercial motorists who ply the various routes in the state.
It is common to see these fierce-looking young men hang around all the major bus-stops only to come out and demand for money from the driver or conductor of any commercial bus that stops to load at the bus-stops.
They make the demands with impunity that in some cases they have quarrel with the driver or his conductor. They demand between N50 and N100 from them.
They are noticeable mainly at the bus-stops on the Mission Hill Road that leads into Umuahia metropolis from the Enugu-Port Harcourt Express-way, the Umuahai Main Market area, Maculay Junction bus-stop, among others.
The activities of these miscreants have increased transport fares within and outside Umuahia urban, as motorists have slightly raised their fares to cover the money that is being extorted from them by these agberos.
These miscreants boldly challenge any body who dares to challenge their activities by asking the person to stay off, as that place is their office and no body has the right to challenge them as they don't challenge any body in their various offices.
Incidentally, this goes on to the neglect of the governments, both the state and local governments, which when it gets out of hand may be difficult for them to control.
"It is very disappointing to see able bodied young men stand here every minute to extort money, extort the sweat of their fellow young men. I believe they have their big men somewhere, otherwise I don't know why
the governements, especialy Umuahia North Local Government should not stop them now before it gets too difficult for them to be controlled.
"Watch out, you can see that some of these buses pass here empty because they have seen these boys here. Some of them go empty to other places where they have less disturbances," a commutter waiting for a bus at Macaulay Junction Bus-stop lamented.
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