The practice of undertaking long journeys on heavy-duty trucks, particularly from northern Nigeria to the South or within the same region, during which humans are often loaded alongside animals, bags of grain, perishable food items, metals and other goods, is common.

This method of carrying passengers from one place to another on top of trailers, lorries and other trucks, is popularly known as 'Waju' in the South and 'a-hangi-biri' (look at a monkey) in the North because of the way the passengers sit on top of trailers as they travel. And the drivers sometimes stop along the road to pick up additional passengers.

Many times, passengers fall off while the trucks are in motion, or get struck by tree branches, which often take them unawares, leading to heavy casualties.

A truck conductor who confirmed to our correspondent that drivers usually load passengers on their way to Lagos and the dangers they face said, “When we stopped at a point, the driver asked me to tell them to quickly ease themselves and do whatever they needed to do because he wasn’t going to waste time. But when I went to tell them, I discovered that none of them was in the vehicle. They must have fallen off the road while we were speeding. When I told my boss what had happened, he immediately started the engine and we zoomed off.”

It was further learnt that when accidents occur, the goods being transported often crush the passengers, leading to fatalities. Weekend Trust reports that last weekend, 14 passengers travelling on a trailer conveying oranges were crushed to death after the goods fell on them when the vehicle was involved in an accident along Bwari road in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Three days on the road

Labourers and other menial workers travelling from the North to southern Nigeria in search of economic opportunities often ride on such trucks, likely because of limited funds. But the question remains: Why do they continue to use these vehicles on their return journey to the North, even after making the money they sought out to make, and considering the dangers involved in it? Some of them who spoke with our correspondent noted that sometimes they would spend days on the road, especially when the truck they are travelling on breaks down.

Notably, this practice has been in existence for a long time, even before the current cost of living crisis and the rise in fuel price, which led to increased transportation cost, forcing many people to seek cheaper alternatives.

Weekend Trust visited one of the loading points at the Isheri Kara area, along the border between Lagos and Ogun states, where humans are transported on top of trucks alongside livestock and other goods.

It was observed that after loading passengers on top of goods in Lagos, drivers often stop over at Isheri Kara to look for additional cargo and pick more passengers.

On why it is difficult for the travellers to take an alternative and safer means of transportation, Muhammadu Nasir, a native of Sokoto State who sells carrots in Lagos, noted that he had spent six months running his business but hadn’t been able to save much money due to the high cost of living in the country.

“I eat, drink and meet my other needs from the proceeds of the business. I also support relatives and friends. I intend to use whatever is left for farming when I return home.

“If I pay the fare for a smaller vehicle, the money left won’t be enough for anything. That is why we prefer travelling on trailers where one does not pay more than N10,000 instead of the N30,000 to N40,000 charged by smaller vehicles,” he said.

With every choice comes a consequence; in this situation, it is long hours of uncomfortable ride.

“The only drawback is that the journey is slow, and sometimes it takes up to three days to reach home,” he said.

A young man, Ibrahim Muhammad, who travels on top of a loaded trailer, noted that the harsh economic situation was responsible for his continued use of such mode of transportation after earning money in Lagos.

While trying to board one of the trucks back to the North, Muhammad said.

“Fuel price increase made transport fares very expensive. Most of us can’t afford the fare charged by smaller passenger vehicles because we usually travel home with some goods we purchased overtime to take back home.

“Smaller vehicles charge N40,000 per seat, excluding the cost of carrying our belongings. Back home, we have family responsibilities and other obligations, that’s why we are compelled to ride on trailers as a cheaper option.

“Although there are dangers involved because of the poor condition of the roads and other challenges, we still embark on the journey this way because of economic hardship. Ultimately, God is our protector.”

Cheap option turned expensive

Ibrahim Babangida recalled his first-time experience using this mode of transportation during a night journey to Kaduna from his hometown in ’Yantumaki, Katsina State.

Babangida narrated how his elder brother saw him off to a motor park to travel to Kaduna when an acquaintance offered to transport him for free on his truck.

He said, “The vehicle was loaded with animals and didn’t set out until 11 pm. A few minutes into the journey, I started feeling feverish, but the other passengers on the trailer had winter caps and their faces covered, perhaps because they were used to it.

“The truck had a faulty headlight, so the conductor was using his torch to assist the driver. When we got to Zaria, they decided to stop and spend the night. We all disembarked and slept at a filling station.

“In the morning, just as we were about to continue the journey, I realised that all the money I had with me had been stolen. After my brother’s friend dropped me off in Kaduna, I told him what happened and they contributed money for me,” he said.

Some northerners who travelled from Calabar to the North aboard heavy-duty cargo trucks explained why they preferred this means of transport despite the risks involved.

Jalabibi Abdurahman, a native of Sokoto State residing in Port Harcourt said, “It is the high transport fare that made me look for a cheaper option – riding on trailers.

“The distance from Port Harcourt to Sokoto is very long, and if I use a regular vehicle I will spend over N40,000. And after arriving in Sokoto, I still have to board about two more vehicles to get to my village. When you add all that, including what I will spend on feeding while on transit, it will amount to almost N60,000. But if I travel on a trailer, I can reach my village with less than N15,000 and use the remaining money to take care of family needs,” he said.

Similarly, Dan Bala Shafi’u, a young man from Kano State who went to Calabar in search of work said, “Whenever I am travelling home, I wait until I find a trailer heading to Kano because honestly, I cannot afford to pay N35,000 for transportation from Calabar to Kano. I usually wait until I see a truck being loaded with cassava flour or palm oil because the drivers give us discount.”

We are helping them — Drivers

Shamsu Attahiru, a trailer driver, told our correspondent in Lagos that they often carry passengers out of sympathy rather than making money off them.

“Most times, the passengers come with their luggage and plead with us to help them return to the North because they don’t have transport fares. Some of them don’t even have money for food. In such instances, there is little one can do than to help them. Sometimes, you even end up buying food for them along the way,” he claimed.

He, however, noted that some of the passengers have money but not enough to take care of their transportation and other needs.

“There is another set of passengers we know have money, but not enough to pay for a bus. If they approach us and agree to pay some money, we consider them. Most times, we are simply trying to help people who struggle financially to go back to their families.

“Also, there are people who just prefer to board trucks simply because they want cheaper fares, which we call waju,” he said.

Another trailer driver in Calabar, Cross River State, Suleman Sani said, “Most of the passengers we take are carried out of goodwill or favour. What we collect from each person is not more than N10,000.”

Similarly, Sani Kabo, a truck driver who had delivered goods to Calabar and was preparing his return trip to the North, said vehicle owners prohibited them from carrying passengers, but sympathy for the travellers’ plight often compelled him to take some.

“Vehicle owners instructed us not to carry passengers, but out of empathy, we still do so because of the way they come seeking help. Even at that, I don’t take more than 12 or 13 people so that I have extra money in case an emergency arises on the road,” he said.

Kabo further explained that because most of their journeys are undertaken at night, they don’t encounter many problems with Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC).

“However, from time to time, immigration officers stop us to inspect the passengers we are carrying, particularly to verify whether they have national identity cards. Aside that, we don’t usually face major problems,” he said.

Meanwhile, Audu Dabuwa, the chairman of the Hummer Bus Drivers Unit at Isheri Kara under the umbrella of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), explained that many people who travel on top of trailers actually have enough money to pay for regular transport but deliberately choose not to.

“You may find someone carrying a large amount of money, yet he decides to travel on top of a trailer simply because he wants a cheaper option and thinks he is being clever. In the end, such a person may spend three days or more on the road. And if you calculate how much he spends on food during the trip, you would find that it exceeds the fare he was trying to avoid paying.

“A trailer can also break down on the road, forcing passengers to disembark and look for another vehicle, which means paying another transport fare. However, there are others whose low-income state leaves with no choice,” he said.

He noted that not everyone who comes to Lagos succeeds in making enough money as some can barely afford accommodation, let alone save.

“If hardship makes someone to return to the North, then you can be certain that he may not have transport fare. Some people spend a whole year working and still don’t save enough to pay for their journey back home. There are people who earn a living from traditional pedicures, shoe-shining, cattle handling and similar trades. When you deduct the cost of food and other necessities, the little they earn is not enough to pay N30,000 or N40,000 for a seat in a passenger vehicle. As a result, such people have no option but to travel on trucks conveying goods despite the dangers involved,” he noted.

Dabuwa added that officials of the FRSC do their best to ensure that truck drivers comply with safety regulations, as well as educate the public on the dangers of riding on top of trailers.

“Most of these trucks set out at night when officials are no longer on duty on the roads. On our part, we work closely with the FRSC and hold meetings with them. They caution drivers and loading agents, but the problem persists.

“This is a difficult issue to solve. My appeal is for the authorities to provide relief for ordinary citizens, while security agencies and road officials remain vigilant to prevent people from putting themselves in danger,” he advised.

The dangers

Dabuwa further stressed that travelling on trailers over long distances posed numerous risks, describing the practice as dangerous, reckless and a complete disregard for one’s health and life.

He said, “People often fall asleep while sitting on top of the goods loaded on trailers. And they can fall off the truck and die without the driver even noticing. Such victims may be left dead by the roadside. As you know, trucks are often overloaded, and passengers sit on top of the goods without anything to hold onto. So, when a trailer swerves or is involved in an accident, many lives are lost.

“Another challenge is that some passengers tell the driver that they are travelling to a particular destination, and when the vehicle stops in another city to allow passengers to eat, pray or refuel, such individuals steal other passengers’ belongings and disappear before the driver or other passengers realise what happened.

“You know that the driver remains in the front of the vehicle and rarely comes down. Sometimes, when the owner of the goods comes to inspect the cargo, they discover that some of the passengers are nowhere to be found. A search is then initiated but they can’t be traced.

“Later, it may emerge that some of the passengers had hidden themselves or fled. And in some cases, they are even suspected of stealing some of the goods being transported,” he said.

Our challenges – FRSC official

An FRSC officer who requested anonymity told Weekend Trust that poverty and lack of awareness are the main reasons many people travel on trailers.

“Mostly, their common excuse is poverty and the desire for cheaper transportation. But this cannot justify the dangers involved. For instance, a man and his family travelling on truck from the North to the South may think they are saving money by paying N20,000 each instead of N150,000 for regular transport. But he fails to understand that the journey may take additional days. There is also the possibility of the trailer breaking down. So, if you calculate food expenses alone, it may end up costing three or four times the amount they hoped to save.

Remember that there is also the constant risk of accidents due to overloading and poor maintenance,” he said.

He noted that FRSC patrol operations were generally conducted between 6am and 6pm, while most trailer drivers prefer to travel at night to avoid arrest.

“Even when we stop them during the day, some refuse to stop and may even attempt to ram our patrol vehicles while speeding away as they know that we are not allowed by regulations to pursue vehicles that refuse to stop at checkpoints.

“Another challenge is that many of these trailers belong to politicians or individuals connected to influential figures. Once you arrest a vehicle, they make a phone call and orders come from above directing you to release it. These are among the challenges we face during our operations,” he said.

The officer argued that stronger enforcement powers were among the measures needed to address the problem effectively.

“One solution is to amend the agency’s laws. It will be difficult to eliminate this problem without strengthening the legal framework. We should be allowed to block roads in certain situations as the military and police do.

“Better communication systems are also needed so that if a driver violates the law at one checkpoint, officers at the next checkpoint can be alerted and prepared to stop the vehicle before it arrives,” he said, adding that these reforms would greatly improve the ability of the authorities to tackle the dangerous practice of long vehicle drivers carrying passengers on trailers. (Weekend Trust)

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