Unidentified armed men have kidnapped scores of God is Good (GIG) Mobility bus passengers at the weekend in the Obajana axis of Kogi State.
It was gathered that the GIGMobility bus was moving from Lagos State to Abuja on Saturday, when it was attacked by gunmen around Obajana heading to Lokoja.
The kidnappers took all of the passengers away, but only the driver managed to escape.
An X user claimed that her friend was among the abductees and the gunmen had demanded the sum of N100million as ransom to release her.
Please guys I need your help my friend who went for her convocation in Benin Republic (Cotonou) on our way back from Lagos to Abuja which was yesterday, she was kidnapped at Lokoja, Kogi State, and the kidnappers are demanding N100million for her release due to this incident the driver left the crime scene (GIG LOGISTICS TRANSPORT). I beg you all in the name of God; she needs our help. Help a sister help a friend; help me get my friend back. No amount is too small,” the X user said.
A source privy to the situation added: “She (referring to her friend) was kidnapped in Kogi State and the kidnappers are demanding for 100m. She was travelling with “God is good” motors They kidnapped all the passengers on the bus.”
Another X user said he witnessed the kidnapping incident and narrated how he escaped.
I drove past the incident yesterday and it was only the driver left. This happened just after Dangote refinery at Obajana heading to Lokoja. All the windscreens were destroyed. The vehicle passed us at Kabba, I was almost a victim just that car overheated at Kabba; so we had to stop.”
Reacting, the company, in a post shared on Sunday evening confirmed the incident.
The company wrote: “Hello Morris, thank you for reaching out and for your concern during this difficult time. We understand the urgency and emotions surrounding this situation.
“Please know that we are also deeply affected by this incident, as well as other similar incidences.
As Christmas rush begins, travellers at different transport terminals in Lagos state on Saturday lamented hike in road transport fares by operators and called on the government to put a regulatory system in place to check excesses.
TheNewsGuru (TNG) in this special report gathered that the cost of transport from Lagos to Abuja now stands at over N14,000.00, with transport line operators attributing the hike to surge.
Similarly, TNG found that fare from Lagos to Abakiliki was N11,000.00 on Saturday morning, fare from Lagos to Bayelsa and Port Harcourt was over N12,000.00.
Fares generally from the state to elsewhere in the country have more than doubled, TNG can report, and the situation is expected to worsen into last week of the year, according to operators.
“While coming from Bayelsa, we paid about N4,000.00 plus some fractions. While going back to Bayelsa now, my sister and I, we paid about N25,000.00 plus some fractions. So, you can see the difference, from about N9,000.00 both of us paid to get to Lagos just a week before now”.
With Lagos as Nigeria’s largest city, it is natural for transport terminals to be more crowded than usual with many returning home to spend Christmas with their loved ones, however, travellers were not pleased with the hike in fares.
A civil servant nursing mother, who did not wish to be named, told TNG that “there should be people that regulate fares or people that go about checkmating transporters” for excess charges, especially during festive periods.
“While coming from Bayelsa, we paid about N4,000.00 plus some fractions. While going back to Bayelsa now, my sister and I, we paid about N25,000.00 plus some fractions. So, you can see the difference, from about N9,000.00 both of us paid to get to Lagos just a week before now.
“Before now, transport fare from Lagos to Bayelsa is about N5,500.00. One person is about N12,000.00 plus now. The gap is just too much. No fuel increment about it, so its too much. We were supposed to leave here by 7:15 am, but till now, we have not boarded, and to me, that is not cool. I am sure its because of the crowd. And of course, the increase in fares is too much.
“There should be people that regulate fares or people that go about checkmating all these transporters. There might be people that want to travel but because of the price they cannot. You can imagine one family came in here with six persons travelling, how much will they pay. Its too much.
“So they should have bodies, agencies that go about to making sure Nigerians are not unnecessarily exploited,” she said.
“Normally, I do not use land transportation going to the East because of the hike in flight rate too that is why I decided to use road”.
Mr. Chima Emmanuel while speaking with a TNG correspondent said “usually I pay N6,500.00 going to the East from Lagos to Aba or Owerri but now I am paying N11,500.00. Its on the high side.
“Normally, I do not use land transportation going to the East because of the hike in flight rate too that is why I decided to use the road.
Travellers with travel tickets waiting for vehicles at a transport terminal in Lagos on Saturday (Photo: Bayo Animasaun)
“They booked me 7:20 am for departure, but this is 8:30 and our bus is not here, they are calling buses from another terminal to pick us. I am not confident here, I am worried, because I don’t know if they are going to cancel our trip or we will stay here for another extra hour. I am travelling alone; I came to Lagos for business purpose so I am going back to the East.
Another passenger, Anozie Michael, who just got back from Abakaliki said, “Over there in the East the transport fare is very cheap coming to Lagos, the transporters are even begging us for one thousand naira. For me I actually boarded the bus for one thousand, five hundred naira from Abakaliki to Lagos”.
He added that “the transporters aim is to just get fuel money to Lagos, then they get their returns by hiking the price for those going to the East for Xmas and New Year celebrations”.
“There is supposed to be a regulatory system to check these excesses because to me there is no difference in service, the same service, and the same vehicles. And it is not as if as you are waiting, they will serve you breakfast or something”.
While several passengers told TNG on Saturday that they were not happy about the change in fares, some, like Favour Njoku, seem not to be bothered by the increment.
“I am travelling to Abakiliki to go and see my family and see my village people, see my old friends, and enjoy with them. It has been long I saw them.
“From Mazamaza here I am paying N11,000.00 to Abakiliki, where I used to pay between N5,000.00 and N6,000.00 to. Well, its their season.
“If you do not travel in this season, you are missing a lot. Travelling in this season, you could see your old friends, and as for me, I would be enjoying my mother’s food a long time after.
“I will also be enjoying with my siblings because all of them would be back home as well,” Favour, who was visibly enthusiastic, said.
Travellers boarding a vehicle at a transport terminal in Lagos state on Saturday (Photo: Bayo Animasaun)
However, one traveller who did not take it easy told a TNG correspondent she has no name and angrily said, “Transport fare is affecting our money”.
Meanwhile, Lawrence Agulonu, travelling to Port Harcourt, said before now, from Port Harcourt to Lagos used to be N7,000.00 or N8,000.00 thereabout, but that he paid N10,000.00 to get to Lagos, and now paid N12,000.00 returning to Port Harcourt.
“The difference I can say is as a result of the crowd as usual of the festive seasons. The difference is much. If I was not having much cash on me, I would have been embarrassed like some persons who have to return home without travelling.
“They are just maximizing the opportunity of the festive period to exploit travellers. There should be a check. There should be a regulatory system to check the excesses”.
“There is no reason whatsoever for the increase in fares; the same service, the same vehicles. It is amazing how transport operators set fares, especially during festive seasons. It is expected that during this rush period that there are more passengers travelling, there should be drop in fares or worse case, fares should remain the same, especially as there is no fuel scarcity or increase in the pump price.
“They are just maximizing the opportunity of the festive period to exploit travellers. There should be a check. There should be a regulatory system to check the excesses.
“I know they are here to make profit. They were making profit when they were collecting N7,000.00 even during the period they were having fewer travellers. The surge this period should make them drop the price or should remain as it was before now.
“There is supposed to be a regulatory system to check these excesses because to me there is no difference in service, the same service, and the same vehicles.
“The economic recession last year was so bad; people didn’t travel, but this year, its a different thing”.
“And it is not as if as you are waiting, they will serve you breakfast or something. You receive your travel ticket, and you will still have to wait for another 30 minutes to an hour before you hit the roads. To me, this is not good”.
A business manager at Okeyson Investment transport line who spoke with TNG said that turnout at his terminal has been great even with the increment in fares.
He said, “People are travelling, unlike last year. The economic recession last year was so bad; people didn’t travel, but this year, its a different thing.
Speaking about the fares, he described the increment as minimal, while stressing that the “little increment” is as a result of the cost of operations and the pattern of travelling in festive seasons.
“We have to blow empty vehicles from the East to come to Lagos to take passengers. So, we have to balance the lose we accrue in bringing empty vehicles from the East so that people can travel. So that is the reason for the marginal increase in the cost of transportation.
“We thank God there is no fuel scarcity this time around and there is no increase in fuel price compared to last year. The turnout has been great; people are travelling, despite the little increase in fare. We thank God for everything,” he said.
A business manager with God is Good motors, who craved anonymity, confirmed the surge affected the change in fares, stressing that demand dictates the rates they charge.
“When you have over 50 people in the terminal travelling a particular route, and you have fewer vehicles available for the route, what would you do? There has been a surge in passengers travelling the different routes, so the rates have to be adjusted,” he said.
A European Union (EU) top court on Wednesday ruled that Uber is like God is Good Motors (GIGM) and any other transportation company, instead of an app, and should be regulated as such.
A Spanish taxi association sued Uber after the ride-hailing firm drew the fury of local taxi drivers and officials for flouting local regulations.
“The service provided by Uber connecting individuals with non-professional drivers is covered by services in the field of transport.
“Member states can, therefore, regulate the conditions for providing that service,” said the Luxembourg-based European Court of Justice.
Uber, the biggest name in the growing gig economy, claims in the lawsuit that it is a mere service provider, connecting consumers with drivers in more than 600 cities.
Uber has run into huge opposition from taxi companies and other competitors who say this allows it to dodge costly regulations such as training and licensing requirements for drivers and vehicles.
The case was brought by a taxi drivers’ association in the Spanish city of Barcelona, where belief runs high that Uber is a taxi company that should be subject to rules governing such vehicles.
In a dense legal judgement, the European Court of Justice said Uber was a service that connects “by means of a smartphone application and for remuneration non-professional drivers using their own vehicle with persons who wish to make urban journeys”.
That means it is “inherently linked to a transport service and, accordingly, must be classified as a ‘service in the field of transport’ within the meaning of EU law”.
Reacting to the ruling, spokesman for the Elite Taxi association, Ivan Esma, told newsmen, “This will truly represent a social victory, and the whole of society will benefit from this” while adding that “the road will be long” for the ruling to be enforced.
Meanwhile, Uber has said the ruling would make little difference in practice.
“This ruling will not change things in most EU countries where we already operate under transportation law,” an Uber spokesperson said in an emailed statement.
Uber, unlike other transport companies like GIGM, does not employ drivers or own vehicles, but instead relies on private contractors with their own cars, allowing them to run their own businesses.
Nigerian drivers on the Uber platform, however, have a way of boycotting the service, citing several reasons.
