By Tola Gbadamosi

A 55-year-old woman, Mrs. Abosede Olugbenga, a petty trader and mother of a 100-level student at Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti, has lamented the ill-treatment meted out to passengers—especially students—by men of the Nigeria Police Force and the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) along the Akure-Ado road.

Mrs. Olugbenga, who spoke with The Hope, bitterly recounted how her daughter was abandoned in the middle of the road after contraband was found in the driver’s vehicle.

“My daughter was on her way back to school after coming home for the weekend. The truth is, anytime my daughter is going back to school, I’m always worried and keep calling her frequently to ensure she gets to Ado safely.

But this time, the police found ‘Igbo’ (Indian hemp) in the vehicle belonging to the driver.

“They asked my daughter to get another vehicle without refunding her fare and left her on the highway with her luggage.

We all know how unsafe it is these days for a young girl—or anyone—to be left alone on an expressway.

“I had to keep calling her every second, with so much tension, to ensure she got another vehicle safely to school.”

Mrs. Olugbenga appealed to the relevant authorities and the Nigeria Police to ensure citizens are treated with dignity and fairness while travelling interstate.

Speaking with the Public Relations Officer of the Ondo State Police Command, DSP Olayinka Ayanlade, he explained that the Command has been working to curb the issue of drivers transporting contraband to neighbouring states.

“The Police Command has already discouraged members of the drivers’ union in the state from engaging in such acts.

We have a good relationship with the drivers’ union.

“In fact, through that collaboration, we were able to arrest some suspected kidnappers who concealed guns inside a bag of cassava flakes (‘garri’).

The suspect was on his way to Ado-Ekiti to deliver the bag.

“Due to our relationship with the transport drivers’ union, we received a tip-off, and through intelligence-led policing, we arrested two suspects here in Akure, while four others were apprehended in Ado-Ekiti.

“I personally met with the union chairman to advise their members to be careful and to always ensure that packages they carry are properly checked.

They must also ensure that individuals are properly screened and that the proper channels for registering packages are followed.

“This is to ensure that they don’t unknowingly become accomplices to criminal activities.

Some drivers may not even know what is inside the packages they are asked to deliver.

“We have been sensitising them and will not rest on our laurels. We’ll continue working with the Transport Union to ensure such behaviours are completely eradicated.

“The officer in charge of the Federal Highway will also ensure such matters are properly handled going forward.

If anything like this happens again, the driver will be held accountable and made to refund the passengers. No passenger should be left stranded on the highway.

“We will ensure compensation is handled through cooperation with the drivers.

If any infraction arises from their end, they must be prepared to take responsibility. Meetings will be arranged with drivers to ensure better treatment of passengers.”

Speaking with the Chairman of the drivers’ union, Comrade Adeola Odudu, he said, “Nobody is above the law.

Any driver caught breaking the law must face the consequences. Our union comprises people of diverse backgrounds and character, and it takes a lot to manage them.

“If the driver is apprehended and the vehicle detained for investigation, that’s fine. But there should be an alternative arrangement for the passengers.

Enough time should be given to the driver to transfer the passengers to another vehicle or, if possible, refund their transport fare.

“There should be a mechanism in place. When a vehicle breaks down, pas