Truck owners and drivers under the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Plateau State Council, have protested against the persistent killings of drivers and destruction of trucks in the South-East region of the country.
The drivers, who gathered at the NURTW branch office in the Laranto, Katako area of Jos North Local Government Area, Plateau State, on Sunday, decried the continued attacks on their members. They alleged that drivers transporting goods through the region have been repeatedly targeted, killed, and had their trucks vandalized or set ablaze by gunmen.
Carrying placards with various inscriptions, the protesters expressed concerns over frequent assaults allegedly carried out by suspected members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
Some of the routes identified as dangerous include Enugu to Lobanta, Lobanta to Okigwe, and Okigwe to Umuahia in Abia State. The protesters called for urgent intervention and the prosecution of perpetrators to prevent a possible boycott of goods transportation to the region.
NURTW Treasurer, Bulus Andrawus, described the hardships faced by truck drivers traveling from northern Nigeria to Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
A truck owner, Lawan Shuaibu, recounted attacks on his vehicles, including an incident on Monday when a truck traveling from Jos to Port Harcourt came under fire at Labanta on Umuahia Road around 9 a.m. The assailants shattered the windshield, injuring the driver.
Shuaibu further narrated another incident where conductors of a truck traveling from Port Harcourt were abducted and tied to a coconut tree by unidentified individuals. He said the driver managed to escape and alerted military personnel, who later secured their release after payment.
He lamented the recurring violence, stating, “One of my drivers was beaten, and his truck was destroyed for no reason. We are just trying to earn a living, not looking for trouble. We are Nigerians too, not foreigners. People from the South settle peacefully in the North, yet we face constant attacks in the East. We are not safe.”
The drivers appealed to the government to take immediate action to ensure their safety and prevent further attacks.
