Touts who had been banned from the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have begun re-emerging in Abuja’s parks, barely a month after a fatal incident in Mabushi claimed a couple’s lives.
Residents are deeply concerned by this return and are demanding urgent government intervention to enforce traffic rules and control the escalating problem of street harassment.
Persecondnews correspondent’s checks at Berger Park and Banex Junction revealed that touts, commonly known as agberos, have resumed their activities.
At Berger Junction, they were seen taking hard drugs and calling for passengers for commercial vehicles.
Similarly, at Banex Junction, touts were spotted carrying out their activities with impunity.
A private car driver, Daniel Aribo, who operates in Berger, lamented the return of touts, saying, “Since last week Thursday, I have noticed that they are gradually returning.
“There is nothing we can do, especially in this Berger Junction, and the police are aware because the security operatives are under the Berger bridge.”
Aribo added that the situation is the same at various locations, including Mabushi Bridge, Banex Bridge, Berger Roundabout, Jabi, Area 1 Bridge, Area 3 Junction, and Gwarinpa, with touts operating with impunity.
“The Minister needs to take more serious actions against these guys.”
The recent return of touts comes on the heels of a tragic incident that occurred on September 3, 2025, under the Mabushi Bridge.
A family of three lost their lives when their vehicle was accosted by touts, who allegedly forced their way into the vehicle, leading to a fatal accident.
The incident sparked widespread outrage, with residents calling for urgent action to address the menace of touts in Abuja.
According to eyewitnesses, a family driving a Toyota Highlander—shortly after purchasing a new refrigerator—was chased from the Berger axis by three touts.
The touts reportedly forced their way into the vehicle and began dragging the steering wheel, causing the driver to lose control.
The FCT Police PRO, Josephine Adeh, confirmed preliminary findings indicating that the vehicle’s occupants were accosted by three unidentified suspects who forcefully entered the vehicle near Berger Junction, Utako.
Persecondnews recalls that during the ensuing struggle for the steering wheel, the vehicle lost control, struck a parked Mazda, crashed into a bridge pillar, and somersaulted, plunging into a drainage ditch.
The Highlander’s driver, his wife, and two of the assailants were confirmed dead on arrival at the National Hospital, while a third suspect is currently receiving treatment.
The Mazda driver sustained no life-threatening injuries.
To curb violence on major roads, the FCT Administration and the Directorate of Road Traffic Services launched a campaign in July 2024 to clamp down on and prosecute illegal touts.
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