Yesterday at the Nnamdi Azikwe Expressway in Abuja, a couple lost their lives after being pursued by notorious roadside touts, locally known as agbero. The violent chase ended in a fatal collision near Mabushi.
According to eyewitnesses, the calamity occurred between Mabushi and Bannex, a stretch infamous for the disruptive activities of these aggressive street enforcers. Reports reveal that the trouble began when two touts attempted to hijack the couple’s vehicle while it was in motion.
Obina an eyewitness, described the scene as chaotic. According to him, the car collided with a taxi after the touts (Agbero) forcefully jumped into it, trying to seize control of the steering wheel. He confirmed that both occupants of the vehicle and one of the assailants died instantly at the site.
Contrary to some online claims and viral footage suggesting residents retaliated by setting the touts ablaze, police officials clarified that no such incident occurred. Instead, those injured were promptly transported to the National Hospital for medical attention, while the deceased couple’s remains were also taken to the morgue for identification, which has so far proven impossible.
Felix Theman, the Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps in Abuja, confirmed the occurrence but noted that by the time his unit arrived, the accident scene had been cleared.
Meanwhile, Josephine Adeh, the spokesperson for the FCT Police Command, refrained from commenting extensively, acknowledging she had only viewed the viral clip and that the matter mainly involved the unruly touts, not police intervention.
Commuters familiar with the corridor spoke out, urging local authorities to intensify efforts to suppress such criminal behaviors. Commercial driver Emmanuel Ezekiel described the Mabushi-Bannex route as “a hotspot for agbero who extort toll fees from all motorists regardless of status”. Another motorist, emphasized that privately owned vehicles are especially vulnerable to these extortion attempts.
Kingsley Madaki, Senior Special Assistant to the Abuja Municipal Area Council chairman, clarified that those implicated in the incident are not members of the council’s registered task force, which is currently undergoing training and not yet deployed on the streets.
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