It was the voice of one Lagos auctioneer at Alausa, Ikeja, on September 15: “350,” “370,” “450,” “going, going, gone!” Greeted with that were the wailings of poor peasants – not to bid per se – but with the belief that fortune could have favour on them. 

The drops of tears were heavier and thicker than the baritone voices of the auction officials. “Help us, help us; please don’t increase the price again,” a woman’s voice thronged out of the bickering, bargaining crowd.

Forty-nine-year-old Dorothy Dike, together with her 31-year-old Osinachi Ndukwe son, was drowned with cathartic emotions as their N1.8million-purchased mini-bus was being auctioned for N450,000.

“We cannot afford this but we are hopeful that the vehicle will be ours so that we can work again and raise money to feed the family,” the Imo-born widow stated.

Dike had come all the way budgeting close to N60,000 only to be disappointed by the increasing bidding of apparently bourgeois-democratic revolts.

“Help me, help me,” she continued. “I am happy to purchase the bus but the problem is that we cannot afford N450,000.”

“I am a widow with two children and I hawk herbs on the streets of Lagos for survival,” she said.

“Osinachi is my son and I lost his father three months after his delivery. Since then, I have been battling to feed my children.”

BETWEEN ‘FACTS’ AND ‘CAR ROBBERY’

Fifteen days after the extension of okada ban on four other local governments took effect, the Lagos State government on September 15 auctioned off 134 vehicles.

Twitter user @Mr_JAGs, a new media aide of the Lagos governor, presented five ‘facts’ about the Lagos Auction Process on September 16, as follows:

THREAD: FACTS about the Lagos State Auction Process that happened yesterday.

1. The Lagos State Taskforce in collaboration with the Lagos State Ministry of Justice auctioned 134 forfeited and abandoned vehicles at the Taskforce compound in Alausa, Ikeja. pic.twitter.com/5Unkku6P76

— Jubril A. Gawat (@Mr_JAGs) September 16, 2022

“1. The Lagos State Taskforce in collaboration with the Lagos State Ministry of Justice auctioned 134 forfeited and abandoned vehicles at the Taskforce compound in Alausa, Ikeja.

“2. The role of Lagos State Taskforce is to carry out enforcement exercise which is confiscation of vehicles for traffic offences, and handling them over to the MOBILE COURT (with evidence) for Judgment.

“3. Some of the cars being auctioned here were confiscated Not for ONE WAY Alone, there are other offences that attract just a fine but some people run away from the Court Process, that’s why they have been forfeited to the State Government after the stipulated period (BY LAW).

“4. The Coordinator of the Lagos State Special Offences Mobile Court was present at the Auction venue. She says exercise is seamless and well organised and also disclosed that all 134 vehicles on display had gone through the due process of the COURT OF LAW before being forfeited. 

“5. Taskforce says auction exercise is to desist the public from committing crime or traffic offences as no one would be spared if found wanting. He says he hopes that this exercise would serve as a deterrent to other road users who are fond of driving against traffic.”

While apparently acquiescing to the sum and substance of the summation, Twitter user @General_Oluchi found fact 5 of @Mr_JAGs particularly counter-productive.

Is there a way Lagos State govt can auction people’s cars and not cause stress and anger on the owners? I understand that they broke traffic law, but isn’t there a better alternative than selling their cars for less than what it’s worth? pic.twitter.com/zJ2P6nznQi

— A Field Marshal of the Han Dynasty⚡️ (@General_Oluchi) September 16, 2022

“Knowing how criminally minded many Nigerians are, I can bet that this is another form of car robbery. They fine people an amount they can’t afford to pay so they can turn around and auction their cars then send someone to buy it out for them.”

THE REALITIES

The Lagos State Transport Sector Reform Law 2018 spells out clearly the penalties any transporter who disobeys traffic control personnel or violates traffic directions faces.

While the one “disobeying traffic control personnel” pays a fine of N20,000 and N30,000 on first and second charges respectively with “impounded vehicle”, the one who “neglects traffic directions” will non-negotiably forfeit the vehicle and also serve one-year imprisonment as a first-time offender but three-years imprisonment as second-time offender.

In December 2019, the government auctioned 108 abandoned and forfeited vehicles after the expiration of a 30-day public notice; and on November 23, 2020, 44 seized vehicles were auctioned by the government for purportedly violating traffic laws.

The state auctioned also 88 and 83 vehicles for violating traffic laws respectively on January 19 and February 9, 2021.

The present harsh economic reality has quite brain-fogged and mind-bogged concerned, sympathetic Lagosians in particular.

With dollar-to-naira exponenting $1-to-N710 at the parallel exchange rate and inflation rate hitting 20.5, the vehicle auction sharply dawned on people who regulatorily have kicked against some form of traffic rule or other.

With unemployment rate knocking at 33.3%, auctioning off the sources of daily bread of low-income earners could have a ripple effect on Lagos, and being the very voice of Nigeria, could be dire.

And with the state government banning commercial-motorcycle operation in 10 local governments, Lagos is potentially on the second phase of open insurgency.