Gbenga Adebayo
Nigerian artist and activist Dare Fasasi, widely recognized as Baba Dee, has voiced strong criticism against the pervasive corruption and inefficiency plaguing Nigeria’s public transport sector, drawing from a troubling encounter with Lagos’ train service.
In a candid Instagram post, the singer revealed that he opted for the train to navigate Lagos’ infamous gridlock—only to face systemic exploitation firsthand.
His frustration peaked when he discovered that multiple train stations had exhausted their Cowrie cards during the peak December travel season.
“Who runs out of transport cards in a major city’s busiest month?” he questioned angrily.
The situation deteriorated further at Orile-Iganmu station, where Baba Dee witnessed an attendant blatantly soliciting personal bank transfers in exchange for train access—effectively turning public infrastructure into a side hustle.
Desperate commuters complied, he noted, trapped by the lack of alternatives.
“It’s organized larceny masked as civic operations,” he declared.
The artist warned that such predatory behavior erodes civic confidence and dooms transit systems to failure, emphasizing:
“You can’t plunder the very service you’re paid to safeguard and expect progress.”
See his full exposé below…
Grace Effiong
