A Special Assistant on Media to the Governor of Delta State, Sheriff Oborevwori, Billy Egbe, has condemned the rising trend of extortion and violence allegedly perpetrated by touts, popularly known as agberos, in Lagos State.

Egbe, in a statement on Friday on his official facebook wall, described the situation as a "national embarrassment," noting that the menace has become a daily reality for road users across the state.

According to him, the activities of these groups amount to harassment of hardworking Nigerians, as they station themselves at bus stops across Lagos, extorting commercial drivers and commuters under different guises.

He particularly expressed sadness over the recent incident in which a dispatch rider was brutally assaulted and reportedly killed by an alleged transport union leader in Lagos Island.

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His words: "The extortion by agberos in Lagos is too much. It is a national embarrassment. I complained about it in a post some time ago and some people thought I didn't know what I was saying. But we see these things every day on the streets of Lagos."

He further said: "This killing is mindless and heartbreaking. But it is not just about this one incident; it is the same thing everywhere in Lagos. The harassment is too much. With due respect to the Yoruba nation, this tax-collector mentality has to stop."

Egbe stressed that urgent action is needed to address the situation to prevent further loss of lives and restore sanity to the transport system in Lagos.