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The Surulere Local Govt Council has denied attempting to extort dispatch riders operating within or around its jurisdiction. This was contained in a release signed by the Chief Press Secretary to the Chairman, Sanyaolu Tunmise and seen by Technext. 
“The attention of the Surulere Local Government has been drawn to some circulation in the public space regarding the surfacing of a dispatch toll ticket in conjunction with an unknown entity named New Generation Base targeting the dispatch riders within Surulere. For the records, these tickets and the purported names are alien to the revenue of the Surulere Local Government, the council has not and is not embarking on any revenue collection relating to dispatch riders,” the statement reads. 
The factional Secretary of the Amalgamated Union of App-based Transporters of Nigeria (<a href="https://auatwon.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AUATON</a>), Comrade Ayoade Ibrahim had previously raised an alarm over the attempt by the Local government to toll dispatch riders traversing the area by issuing them a ticket. 
The ticket seen by Technext indicated that it was a DISPATCH TOLL. It also indicated that it emanated from the LG, in conjunction with a group called the New Generation Base whose members are yet to be identified. 
The factional Secretary, while speaking with Technext, described the toll collectors as agberos (touts) wearing Lagos state vests. 
“Our riders encountered a disturbing situation in Tejuosho, Surulere Local Government. They were confronted by individuals wearing Lagos State-branded jackets who claimed that there is a new development in the state. These individuals demanded that our riders purchase dispatch papers, claiming it was mandatory,” Comrade Ayoade said. 
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 <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="719" height="724" src="https://technext24.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Ayoade-Ibrahim.jpg" alt="NLC Strike: e-hailing drivers to shutdown Uber and Bolt apps from August 2" class="wp-image-54205" style="width: 100%;height:auto" srcset="https://technext24.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Ayoade-Ibrahim.jpg 719w, https://technext24.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Ayoade-Ibrahim-150x150.jpg 150w, https://technext24.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Ayoade-Ibrahim-298x300.jpg 298w, https://technext24.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Ayoade-Ibrahim-100x100.jpg 100w" sizes="(max-width: 719px) 100vw, 719px">
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 Comrade Ibrahim Ayoade
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However, the Surulere LG council also disowned the ticket making the rounds, purportedly from the council, describing it as the machinations of fraudulent individuals or groups looking to harass and cause more hardship to the riders.&nbsp; 
“These are the machinations of some individuals or groups with sharp practices and fraudulent means to cause more hardship to the hailing small businesses of logistics and dispatch,” the council said. 
The council also assured that it will use all legal means and enforcements to get to the root of the fraudulent activity and ensure that the perpetrators are brought to book. It also urged the public to disregard any person or group of persons demanding any fee for a ticket called “DISPATCH TOLLS”. 
The council further urged dispatch riders or other hailing businesses to report to the nearest police station or the Surulere Local government secretariat. 
<h4 id="the-plight-of-the-dispatch-riders-in-surulere" class="wp-block-heading">The plight of the dispatch riders in Surulere</h4> 
A sale is not complete until it gets to the buyer. This is where dispatch riders come in. 
They have become a common sight on Lagos roads today and a part of daily living. This is due to the proliferation of e-commerce like Jumia, the leverage of delivery by millions of small-scale online sellers and the entry of major logistics players like Chowdeck 
However, due to their increasing proliferation, they have become a target for tolling by official government entities as well as other non-state actors. 
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 <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="400" src="https://technext24.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Untitled-design-1.jpg" alt="Surulere LG denies tolling dispatch riders, blames fake ticket on fraudulent groups" class="wp-image-147626">
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The latest case of harassment of dispatch riders took place in Tejuosho, the largest market in Surulere. 
According to Comrade Ayoade, the riders were held and coerced by the tollers to pay an N300 daily fee. However, the riders escaped by convincing the collectors that they did not have cash and the expense was unplanned. 
They pledged to purchase at another time. 
“This encounter highlights the urgent need to address the menace of Agbero (unauthorized ticketing agents) in Lagos State. The proliferation of dispatch papers has become excessive, and our members are being harassed to purchase them. We urge the relevant authorities to take decisive action against these unauthorized agents and protect the rights of our riders,” Comrade Ibrahim said. 
He also requested immediate attention and urged the council to prevent further harassment and extortion of riders. 
See also: <a href="https://technext24.com/2024/11/07/alex-ikwechegh-to-sponsor-e-hailing-bill/#google_vignette">Bolt driver assaulter, Hon Alex Ikwechegh to sponsor national e-hailing bill- AUATON says</a>
The post <a href="https://technext24.com/2024/11/07/surulere-denies-tolling-dispatch-riders/">Surulere LG denies tolling ticket for dispatch riders, blames fraudulent groups</a> first appeared on <a href="https://technext24.com">Technext</a>.

Surulere LG denies tolling ticket for dispatch riders, blames fraudulent groups

Technext.ng

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