Poultry farmers urge Police to intervene over alleged extortion on Agbara Badagry expressway

The Poultry Association of Nigeria, (PAN) Lagos State, Badagry zone on Monday appealed to the state Commissioner of Police, Mr Akeem Odumosu to intervene on alleged extortion of poultry drivers along Agbara Badagry expressway.

Mr Thomas Adebayo, the Chairman, PAN, Badagry Zone made the appeal in a “Save Our Souls” letter to the Commandant,  Area K Command, Oko-Afo, Lagos.

According to the zonal chairman, the same letters were sent to Nigerian Army command, Federal Road Safety Corp and others security operatives who are always at the check points along the expressway.

He said that the association with other stakeholders in poultry industry had to write the letter to intimate the security operatives on the harrowing experiences they were passing through.

“Poultry farmers in Badagry constitute 95 per cent of the imputs in production which are supply from outside Badagry, either from Lagos or Oyo State.

“But unfortunately, for sometimes now, all the transporters have been declining to bring poultry feed over extortion by security operatives on different check points.

“There are about 15 checkpoints between Agbara and Badagry, which is less than 20km.

“At each of the checkpoints, trucks drivers are mandated to pay N1, 000, which has led to the refusal of truck drivers to come to Badagry to pick farm produce.

“The law enforcement that they used to settle on this expressway includes Nigerian Police, FRSC, and Nigerian Army at the multiple check points from Agbara to Badagry.

“The truck drivers complained that they don’t normally have problem from wherever they are coming from until they get to Agbara when they will start to encounter problem of extortion at all the numerous points.

“Consequently, they declined coming to Badagry, thereby causing incessant scarcity of poultry feed and high cost of transportation resulting to high cost of feed in the town compare to other places in Lagos.

“We also experienced the same problem transporting eggs and other products to Lagos from Badagry,” he said.

Adebayo urged the commissioner to use his good office to intervene and stop these illegal charges.

“We are therefore writing this SOS to your good office for your intervention so that the stumbling block by the multiple check points with attendant illegal charges at the check points can be removed.

“We are pleading for your intervention to ensure free and unhindered supply of poultry feed and other poultry products to Badagry poultry farmers.

“This will guarantee regular availability of these products to meet the needs of the farmers in Badagry,” he said.