The Senior Special Assistant to Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Transportation Logistics, Hassan Adekoya, has said that extortion along the Apapa port corridor may never be completely eliminated despite sustained efforts by the government and other stakeholders to restore order in the area.

Adekoya spoke during an interview on Arise Television while assessing interventions aimed at improving traffic flow and enhancing business activities around the Lagos ports.

According to him, the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC), in collaboration with the Lagos State Government and other stakeholders, recorded notable successes in addressing longstanding challenges on the corridor.

He noted that the initiative enjoyed the support of the Lagos State Ministry of Transportation under the leadership of the Commissioner for Transportation, Oluwaseun Osiyemi, as well as other government officials involved in the exercise.

“For the intervention of PEBEC in Lagos Port, it was a beautiful initiative. They were able to achieve a lot with the support of the Lagos State Government. We were fully involved,” Adekoya said.

He acknowledged that several illegal structures and bottlenecks were dismantled during the operation, leading to improved movement of trucks and other road users. However, he admitted that extortion activities soon resurfaced after the exercise.

“After the dismantling, we all saw that the extortionists were back. Princess Zahra did a beautiful job by leading the Renewed Hope Initiative to ensure safety and sanity along the corridor. We have gained a lot in terms of business activities on this route,” he stated.

Adekoya expressed pessimism about the possibility of completely ending extortion on the corridor, saying the practice had become deeply entrenched.

“But I will tell you for free today, the extortion on that corridor cannot stop. It has come to stay,” he said.

Despite the persistence of extortion, the governor’s aide maintained that the Lagos State Government had largely delivered on its promise to eliminate the notorious Apapa traffic gridlock, which for years hampered port operations and economic activities in the area.

He stated that commuters can now travel from Apapa to the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in less than 20 minutes, while trips from Apapa to Victoria Island can be completed within a similar timeframe.

“For the dismantling of the bottlenecks, the administration of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu promised during its campaign that it would end the Apapa gridlock. Today, I can tell you that the gridlock is no more,” Adekoya said.