Aggrieved traders and sympathizers at Ogidi building materials market, Idemili North Local Government Area, Anambra state, in the early morning of Tuesday took to the major roads protesting alleged killing of a trailer driver by revenue agents, of the state Government.
It was gathered that the deceased driver, with five other drivers, had left Ghana for the Ogidi Building material market in Anambra state, with their five trailers laden with plywood.
On getting to Onitsha end of the Niger Bridge at about 4.am, a group of revenue agents stopped the five trailers and demanded for money.
The revenue agents were reportedly given #10,000 and as they were leaving, another group of revenue agents tried to stop the driver of the trailer that gave out the #10,000 on behalf of others but he refused to stop.
They tried to block him but he did not allow them as he managed to get to his destination, the Ogidi market with the revenue agents trailing him.
Immediately he stopped the vehicle inside the market, the revenue agents descended on hum, beat him to stupor and clubbed him dead.
It was learnt that when the traders at the building material market came to open their shops, they saw the corpse of the driver and on enquiry as to what was amiss, they were told what happened and immediately, with the help of passers-by, mobilised and embarked on protest.
The mob blocked the ever-busy Onitsha/Enugu expresssway with the trailer of the deceased and those of his colleagues thereby redirecting the traffic flow to the Old Onitsha/Enugu road.
Pleas by both security operatives that included the police and the military to unblock the expressway failed on deaf ears for about five hours.
Shops and the market were shut to avoid the irate mob attacking them as they smashed vehicles and damaged properties.
Consequently, there was heavy traffic grid-lock in all the adjoining roads and streets forcing people to trek a long distance.
At about 11.am after many pleas, the expressway was unblocked for smooth traffic flow.
Reacting, the National chairman of the Heavy Duty Drivers Association, Chief Rogers Uche, vowed to sue the state Government adding that, “the revenue agents that killed the driver were working for the state government”
“Government should disband the revenue agents. How can they pursue a trailer that was coming from Ghana. This country is a rot, the drivers passed through seven rivers and mountains but were trapped in their own country”
“We will not take this, they must compensate the bereaved family of the deceased driver” he fumed”.
Meanwhile efforts to speak with the commissioner for Transport, Mr. Mbanefo proved abortive as decline picking up the calls but rather demand for text.
(Daily Independent)
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