Road transporters have directly blamed relentless extortion by security agents and road unions for the spiralling cost of foodstuffs in the South-South and Eastern parts of Nigeria.

The drivers revealed that transporting food from the North to these regions has become an avenue for financial exploitation, with uniformed personnel and union thugs extorting them at multiple checkpoints along the highways.

A Nigerian Tribune investigation revealed that state governments also levy significant fees. Receipts made available by the transporters on Wednesday showed that the Abia State Board of Internal Revenue Service collects ₦20,800 for produce and veterinary haulage fees; Enugu collects ₦20,000 for heavy-duty and haulage transport; Imo collects ₦25,000 for produce, commerce and consolidated road tax; while the Rivers State Internal Revenue Service collects ₦23,000 for agricultural produce sales tax and inspection.

The transporters, all from Nasarawa State, who spoke to our correspondent on the condition of anonymity, argued that these illegal collections are the single biggest factor pushing up food prices for consumers.

They explained that harassment from road workers, locally known as “Agbero,” adds another layer of cost and intimidation, noting that the workers sometimes vandalise their vehicles whenever they refuse to pay.

“All the Nigerian security operatives collect money from us on the road,” one of the drivers said. “We pay as much as ₦5,000 to ₦10,000 and sometimes even more to road union thugs, the police and the army. This extortion is the reason why the price of foodstuffs is so high in the South-South and Eastern parts of Nigeria.”

The drivers further explained that harassment from road workers adds another layer of cost and intimidation.

“Anytime we refuse to pay the road workers, they delay us or even vandalise our vehicles, forcing us to incur additional expenses,” another driver said. “The extortion by Agbero and the double taxation from security agents are the primary causes of expensive food in the South-South and the East.”

“The money we pay to the internal revenue collectors of each state is official,” another transporter clarified. “But it is the constant stopping by security agents demanding money, and the threat of violence from road unions if we don’t pay, that pushes our costs through the roof. All of this is why people in the South-South and the East have to pay so much for food.” (Nigerian Tribune)