Berger Motor Park, Lagos, Nigeria. Image by Kaizen Photography via Wikimedia Commons, March 27, 2016, (CC BY-SA 4.0). Area boys (Agbèròs) are mostly found in motor parks, where they operate as members of National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW). Within Nigerian urban cities, Area boys (popularly known as agbèrò in the Yoruba language) are gangs who coordinate crime and illicit activity on the streets and motor parks across the country. They are a dangerous force to contend with and have become a deep-seated problem in Lagos society. They are such a threat that many Lagosians have even adapted by pretending to be one of them by adopting their slang and guttural tone — just to avoid trouble. The lawlessness of area boys has become a serious concern in Lagos. They bully, threaten and coerce transportation workers into giving up at least 50 percent of their income. They have overrun the streets of Lagos and caused anarchy, however, the government has yet to implement stringent laws to restore order. Almost all agbèrò are official National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) members, which has allowed them to become ticketing touts. This name has come about as a result of the disparaging impact they have on the city’s commercial transport sector. A report by Odinaka Anudu, of the International Center for Investigative Reporting (ICIR), estimates that altogether the agbèrò make a flabbergasting annual sum of NGN 123 billion (about USD 296 million) from commercial transport workers. This amount is made up of all the fees, rates, tolls, and other tax forms they squeeze out of commercial drivers, tri-cyclists, and motorcyclists. A bus driver pays an average of NGN 3,000 (about USD 7.23) to these area boys daily. There are an estimated 75,000 buses in the state (ICIR), meaning around NGN 225,000,000 (about USD 542,000) is being extorted each day from this single form of transport, says the ICIR. Keke Marua (tri-cyclists) drivers pay an average of NGN 1,800 (about USD 4) to agbèròs, with the daily total amounting to NGN 90,000,000 (about USD 217,000). Furthermore, Okada (bike) riders pay about NGN 600 (about USD 1.5) daily, summing up to NGN 22 million (about USD 530,000). It can be concluded that agbèròs in Lagos make nothing less than NGN 337 million (about USD 812,000) daily or a whooping NGN 123 billion (about USD 296 million) yearly. “The money generated amounts to 29.4 percent of Lagos State’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) OF [NGN] 418.99 billion”, says the ICIR. The agbèròs claim to be collecting road tax, but the money is never declared and does not make it to the state. There is no doubt that this money is disappearing into private pockets. Typically at bus stops and motor parks, agbèrò harass commercial transport workers. Some of these workers have begun to grow tired of the trade because the touts often erode their hard-earned profits. The frustration and bitterness born out of this create a tense environment, so it is no surprise that violence has occasionally erupted between drivers, passengers, and other community members. Additionally, in order to make up for the money they lose to the area boys, most drivers increase or even double their transport costs to the detriment of commuters. Consequently, agbèrò are impoverishing and frustrating Lagosians. “We are tired o, we are tired,” an Okada rider known simply as Saliu told Global Voices. “Every day, I give them money and I have barely enough left to take care of myself and my family. Even God collects just ten percent,” another said. “Who are these touts to think they have a right to rob us of our hard-earned money?” Besides their duty as ticketing touts, agbèròs also peddle illegal drugs, act as security bouncers, and extort money from Lagosians in other ways. “Money for the boys,” is a common refrain when they ask for cash. They sometimes do this by putting up roadblocks to stop private cars and requesting a token to pass. Another major problem with area boys is that they pose a threat to property and safety. As they all belong to different organized gangs, which often have rivalries. These rivalries have resulted in several fights that have not only destroyed houses or shops but have also cost some innocent bystanders their lives. The tragic story of the chairman of a unit in Surulere is one infamous incident. The man was killed in a brutal NURTW gang clash in 2019. He was collateral in a fight between the Aguda boys and Mushin boys, with the former fighting to establish dominance over a territory they thought the Mushin boys were invading. A number of the boys were arrested, though nothing could be done to bring back the life of the man who was killed. Area boys have also been known to work as thugs for politicians.