By Alburuuj and Tolani Ayinde
The Nigerian Police enforcement of unwritten curfews on Okada (motorcycles) and Marwa (tricycles) in Kosofe has turned commuter transit into a daily crisis. While official Lagos State government policies focus on a blanket ban of commercial motorcycles along major highways and specific local governments, localized enforcement in areas like Ketu, Oworonshoki, Mile 12 and Ogudu has devolved into a lucrative extortion ring. This has effectively cut off transportation options for regular citizens long before midnight.
The sudden disappearance of transport after 6:00 pm (for Okadas) and 9:30 pm (for Marwas) is driven entirely by arbitrary financial penalties imposed by some rogue officers of the Nigerian Police Force.
At major junctions, a sudden panic occurs as the clock strikes six. Riders drive erratically, shouting
"Police! Police!" to warn peers. Getting caught results in instant detention and an immediate demand of
₦5,000 to ₦10,000 for illegal bail.
In Ketu, tricycle operators face similar predatory tactics. As 9:30 pm approaches, drivers completely abandon the parks to avoid losing their daily earnings to police checkpoints or patrols.
In neighbouring Ogudu, the stakes are exponentially higher. A single Marwa arrest demands a steep ₦50,000 "bail fee", or the tricycle is permanently impounded, destroying the operator's means of livelihood.
"Every day I close my shop early because of the 9:30 PM Marwa rush. If you miss that final batch of tricycles, you are finished. Last week, I had to walk from Ketu all the way into the inner streets of Alapere with a heavy load on my head. Two boys tried to grab my bag near the unlit bridge. We are paying tax to the state, yet we are left at the mercy of criminals because the police have chased away our only means of getting home safely" said Mrs. Shade Olagunju., 43, a provisions trader at the Ketu Market.
Many residents remain in the dark about why these curfews exist. A popular rumour suggests the restrictions are a security countermeasure against the presence of bandits or insurgents in the Southwest.
However, the reality points to systemic exploitation rather than counter-terrorism. The Lagos State Transport Sector Reform Law explicitly details regulations for road safety, traffic flow, and legitimate crime reduction. Instead of enforcing the actual law transparently, corrupt elements within the law enforcement weaponize the public’s fear of insecurity to run an information blackout. By keeping commuters and riders ignorant of official operational boundaries, some members of the police ensure they can continue setting arbitrary curfew hours and penalty fees.
The ultimate victims of this extortion ring are the everyday residents who commute to commercial hubs across Lagos. Workers returning home after dark find the junctions completely deserted. With no public transport available, exhausted citizens—including women and the elderly—are forced to trek miles from the main bus stops to their homes.
Ironically, an enforcement ring supposedly aimed at improving safety does the exact opposite. Forcing thousands of tired residents to walk dark, unlit inner roads makes them easy targets for petty criminals, cultists, and phone-snatchers. By driving legitimate transporters off the road prematurely, these set of police officers expose the community to higher rates of nighttime vulnerabilities.
For Okada and Marwa riders, the vehicles are tools of survival, often purchased through high-interest micro-loans. When an officer demands ₦50,000 or threatens impoundment, it breaks the operator financially. This pushes riders out of business, increases local unemployment, and robs the community of an essential transit network.
Security is meant to preserve life and livelihood, not destroy both. What is happening under the cover of darkness in Kosofe local government is an open economic assault on the working class residents. By turning legitimate traffic regulation into a localized protection racket, rogue police officers have effectively privatised the night, charging premiums to operators and sentencing the rest of the populace to long, perilous walks home.
This is where local administration must step in. If the Nigerian Police Force does not control its officers on the ground, the joint leadership of Kosofe LG, Agboyi-Ketu LCDA and Ikosi-Isheri LCDA must act as an institutional buffer. The entire Kosofe community does not need unwritten curfews fuelled by rumours of banditry. We need transparently publicised operational hours, well-lit junctions, and public accountability. Until local authorities aggressively challenge this artificial transit blockade, the nightly exploitation of our people remains a stain on Kosofe's governance.
If you or a transporter are facing illegal arrests or extortion outside of official legal channels, you can escalate the incident directly via these monitoring units:
The Nigeria Police Force Complaint Response Unit (CRU):
Phone/WhatsApp: +234 805 700 0001 / +234 805 700 0002 or via X (Twitter): @PoliceNG_CRU 
