Maritime Workers Protest Alleged Extortion, Disrupts Operations At Lagos Port

The Council of Maritime Truck Associations and Unions (COMTUA) has staged a significant protest across Lagos port corridors, expressing strong displeasure over the alleged resurgence of widespread extortion.

The demonstration, which saw a partial disruption of cargo clearance activities, aimed to draw urgent attention from relevant authorities to the persistent menace and demand immediate action.

The President of COMTUA, Comrade Yinka Aroyewun, stated that the protest was a direct response to continuous extortion by both state and non-state actors operating around the critical port access roads.

He emphasised that the financial burden imposed by these illicit activities is crippling the livelihoods of truckers and impeding efficient port operations.

A key demand from COMTUA is the immediate eradication of the electronic call-up system, popularly known as ‘ETO’, and its operators, the Truck Transit Park (TTP).

Aroyewun accused the system and its administrators of perpetrating double taxation, contributing to job losses among truckers, and unfairly prioritising military and certain private trucks.

Further elaborating on the root causes of the problem, the COMTUA President pointed to the continued presence of Nigerian Port Authority (NPA) security personnel beyond their designated port jurisdiction as a major catalyst for extortion.

“The government should ensure that laws and regulations are obeyed by ensuring that NPA personnel are deployed only within the premises of the ports,” Aroyewun asserted, calling for a strict adherence to jurisdictional boundaries.

COMTUA also challenged the compulsory payment for call-up through TTP, stating that truckers were not party to any agreement between the NPA and TTP.

The union stressed that the Nigerian Shippers’ Council, as the economic regulator of the ports, should be responsible for fixing charges, not the NPA through third-party operators like TTP.

The protest underscores a growing frustration among maritime truckers regarding the operational inefficiencies and alleged corruption within the port logistics chain, threatening to escalate if their grievances are not adequately addressed.