A Lagos-based TikToker has alleged she was harassed while documenting long queues and severe bus shortages at the Ikorodu Bus Rapid Transit terminal, drawing attention to the daily commuting challenges faced by thousands of residents.
The creator, known on TikTok as darkskinnedella (@ella_the_fashionistar), said she was confronted after speaking out about the situation while filming at the terminal.
“I got harassed on the queue because I spoke up,” she said in a video posted on Wednesday while recounting the incident.
The TikToker, who describes herself as a videographer and video editor, said she relocated to Lagos between September and October 2025 and has since been documenting her daily commute to Lagos Island.
According to her posts, commuters at the Ikorodu terminal often spend more than two hours waiting to board buses.
The Lagos Bus Rapid Transit system is regulated by the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority, which oversees transport policy, infrastructure and system regulation. Daily operations, however, are handled by private bus operating companies, including Primero Transport Services Limited.
In several videos shared on TikTok, she filmed long lines of passengers waiting at the terminal, saying many commuters rely on the BRT because it operates on a dedicated lane that is often faster and cheaper than commercial transport options.
In one video posted on Monday, she explained that she wakes up as early as 4 a.m. to prepare for work, which begins by 9 a.m., so she can leave home early enough to reach the terminal between 5:30 a.m. and 6 a.m.
Despite arriving early, she said the queues remain long.
“Why people use BRT is because it has its own lane,” she said while filming commuters waiting in line, adding that she sometimes waits more than two hours before boarding.
Her videos also suggest that the delays continue into the evening. After finishing work around 5 p.m., she said commuters still spend long periods waiting for buses to return home.
Tensions escalated on Tuesday when she posted footage showing a confrontation with a woman who asked her to stop recording while inside a BRT bus.
In the clip, the TikToker insisted she would continue documenting the situation until buses were provided.
“If they provided buses for us, I will stop. If I come to this queue and spend more than five minutes, I will make videos,” she said.
The woman responded by telling her to arrive earlier.
“Then come early,” the woman said.
The creator replied that she already wakes up extremely early to avoid the queues.
“I should not sleep? I should come by 3 a.m.?” she asked, noting that she had left home around 6:30 a.m. and joined the queue by 7 a.m.
In another video posted on Wednesday, the confrontation appeared to escalate when a woman she later identified as a transport staff member allegedly attempted to stop her from filming.
“Don’t make any video today. If you make any video today, I will seize your phone,” the woman was heard saying in the footage.
The video shows the official holding the creator’s bag and attempting to take her phone during a heated exchange.
“Why are you holding my bag? I will make my video. There is no bus, so I will make my video,” the TikToker responded.
During the argument, the official questioned why the TikToker’s father had not provided buses.
“Tell your father to buy bus here?” the woman said.
“There is no bus. Is my daddy the governor of Lagos?” the creator replied.
In a separate clip recorded later inside a bus, she alleged that a man confronted and threatened her over the videos she posted.
“This man threatened to deal with me,” she said, claiming he told her that people had recognised him in the footage.
She also alleged that several BRT buses had been chartered for an event on the day of the incident, which she believed contributed to the shortage.
“I was shocked when I found out that almost all the BRT buses got chartered for an event. These people knew we would go to work the next day but they still let us stand for hours,” she said, adding that she eventually left the terminal after 9 a.m.
When contacted for comments on the alleged bus shortage and harassment, the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority requested a formal email inquiry. A response was still awaited as of press time.
Concerns about bus shortages along BRT routes are not new. Reports by PUNCH Metro dating back to 2020 documented complaints from commuters who said they regularly endure long queues due to insufficient buses.
Many residents rely on the BRT system because fares are generally lower than those charged by commercial buses, especially as transport costs continue to rise across Lagos.
In 2023, the Lagos State Government introduced a 25 per cent fare reduction across regulated bus and rail transport services following directives from Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to ease the burden on commuters.
Despite such measures, demand for the BRT system remains high, with commuters saying the limited number of buses often leads to long queues at major terminals, particularly along the busy Ikorodu corridor.
Advertisement