Security agents: Playing ‘staff’ to evade payment of transport fare

Shola Adekola writes on why commercial bus operators in the State of Excellence detest security agents, especially the police.

If there is one thing commercial bus operators in Lagos detest most, it is the attitude of security agents, that is, soldiers and policemen who they transport from one point to the other in the state without their paying for the service.

Any attempt by the conductors to ask for transport fare from these security agents is usually met with beatings from the officers, who claim they are serving the nation and ought to be enjoying certain privileges.

Lagos Life recently experienced one of such situations during a bus ride from Egbeda, Akowonjo to CMS. Inside the bus was a policeman, who had the rank of a corporal.

The journey was quite smooth until the policeman who was in the bus, suddenly asked the bus to stop for him at an illegal bus-stop at Obalende.

The driver politely explained to the policeman why he could not stop at the point as he could be arrested by law enforcement agents who had been positioned at such illegal bus-stops.

All efforts made by the driver and other passengers in the bus to make the policeman see reason failed, as he vowed to deal with the driver for “disobeying a law enforcement officer.”

The driver, on getting to a legal bus-stop, parked so that the policeman could alight. Immediately the policeman got out of the bus, he moved over to the driver’s side, dragged him out of the bus, while raining hot slaps on his face.

The driver’s offence was that he “disobeyed a policeman when he was ordered to park.”
The driver was also unfortunate as there were other policemen at the bus stop where the bus had parked.

The policeman then called the attention of other policemen, explaining the offence of the driver.

After consulting with the other police officers, the policeman ordered all the passengers in the bus, who had paid N200, to drop, so that they could arrest the driver for the “offence” he committed.

The driver was however lucky as the passengers vowed to stand by him, as he did nothing wrong, rather, it was the policeman who should be prosecuted for ordering the driver to park at the wrong bus stop.

In the bus were two members of the fourth estate of the realm, journalists, who vowed to take the case to any length to defend the driver.

The case was dragged for about one hour until the passengers, particularly the journalists, threatened to inform the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Muhammed Abubakar, about the case.

It was when the policemen realised what they were dragging themselves into, that they agreed to release the driver. This scenario is one of the many cases of the cat and mouse relationship between commercial bus operators in the state and security agents, especially the police.

Most commercial drivers do not favour the police entering their vehicles because of what they are noted for - not paying their transport fares.

Some commercial bus operators who spoke to Lagos Life said they prefer not to carry policemen at all because of the way they prove difficult.

A driver who identified himself as Uche, told Lagos Life that aside the fact that policemen don’t pay their transport fares, they could also be nasty atimes.

“Even, when one is doing the right thing, they can easily weave some offences around one and one would need to bribe them to get out of the case. “In short, I can say they are evils on drivers’ paths.”

Another driver who did not disclose his name said one he sees a policeman or a soldier at a bus stop, the would refuse to stop at such a place.

Though it costs me nothing to carry the security officers free of charge, it is no secret that the average commercial bus driver hates the sight of the police,” he said.