A family of four was killed in a gruesome accident at Mabushi Bridge, Abuja when street touts, known as agberos, caused a chaotic scene that led to the driver losing control.
Eyewitnesses said the family, cruising in their personal car, got jumped by touts near Berger Roundabout in Wuse. The attackers allegedly hopped onto the moving vehicle and wrestled for the steering wheel, trying to extort money or hijack the car. The chaos sent the car smashing into a bridge pillar, killing the dad, mom, and two kids on the spot.
There’s some confusion about whether one of the touts died in the wreck. Some folks at the scene said angry locals lashed out at the attackers, but FRSC Sector Commander Felix Theman shot that down, saying, “Nobody died at the crash site, and we took the injured to the hospital.”
The tragedy has cranked up public anger over Abuja’s out-of-control tout problem, with Mabushi being a hotspot for harassment and shakedowns. “These guys will block any car, even private ones, and if you don’t cough up cash, they get nasty,” grumbled Emmanuel Ezekiel, a local driver.
The Abuja Municipal Area Council washed its hands of the incident, insisting the culprits weren’t part of its official task force. With tempers flaring, residents are demanding the government crack down on these lawless touts terrorizing the capital.
