The heavy trucks wing of Plateau State Council of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) has raised the alarm over the alleged killing of 50 truck drivers while transporting goods to the South-Eastern part of Nigeria.
The union also stressed that many truck drivers were still missing with their trucks burnt or forcefully taken away.
State Coordinator of the transport union, Alhaji Janedu Zaki made the call while addressing newsmen in Jos, the Plateau State capital, at the weekend.
According to Zaki, truck drivers from Northern Nigeria for the past eight years have been consistently targeted and killed in the course of discharging their lawful duties, wondering the offense committed by the victims to deserve these barbaric killings.
Zaki alleged that between January and December, 2024 alone, more than 20 drivers were brutally killed in communities of Ihube Okigwe in Isiochi area of Imo State.
He added that some of the victims’ corpses were recovered, while many others were still missing.
The coordinator further stated that on the 28th January, 2025, four drivers including Haruna Jibril, Bala Mohamme , Danladi Jafaru and Auwal Mohammed who were transporting tomatoes to Port Hacourt were attacked between Lopanta community in Imo State and Umuahia in Abia State.
He added all the four drivers were killed and goods in their trucks carted away.
Zaki further narrated that the perpetrators filmed the empty trucks “and sent the videos to us to confirm that they have killed the victims. When we called them on phone to release the bodies of the victims, they told us that we should forget about them,” he said.
He further stressed, “Soon after the recent incident, we reported to the Police Area Command in Okigwe and the DSS. We also reported the incident to the military camp and Police headquarters in Imo State. Up till this moment, we did not know the whereabouts of their corpses and the trucks.”
The Plateau NURTW boss also alleged that members of the Indigenous People Of Biafra (IPOB) in the Four Corner community of Nkanu West LGA of Enugu State, opened fire on a truck carrying perishable items while on its way to Port Harcourt. “Luckily, the driver and his assistants survived the attack stressing that these sad incidents continue unabated without any serious move to stop them.
“The most dangerous axis within the region includes Enugu to Lopanta, Lopanta to Okigwe, and Okigwe to Umuahia in Abia State. Our lives are always in danger when we reach these points. The fear of being attacked and killed is always palpable, making it difficult for us to carry out our lawful business without anxiety,” Zaki lamented.
According to the union, the destruction of trucks and property worth billions of naira has caused economic hardship and instilled fear among members of the union, making it difficult for them to carry out their lawful businesses within the Five states of the region.
The coordinator also wondered that despite continued reports of these incidents to various security agencies, no concrete actions have been taken to address them as the perpetrators continue to descend on their members and their trucks at will.
“As Nigerian citizens, we believe that we have the right to move freely and engage in legitimate businesses without fear of persecution. We urge the federal government, particularly President Bola Tinubu, the National Security Adviser, Chief of Defense Staff, Chief of Army Staff, and Inspector General of Police to take drastic measures to put an end to these senseless killings and destruction”.
NURTW further demanded that federal and state governments should conduct a thorough investigation to identify those responsible for these heinous crimes and prosecute them.
They also demanded increased security presence along affected roads to prevent further attacks and create a safer environment for truck drivers to operate.
“This will allow drivers to move freely without fear or intimidation. As law-abiding citizens, we will continue to advocate for our rights and the protection of our members until justice is served. We are drawing the attention of the federal government to the fact that the activities of IPOB are a threat to sustainable peace in the country.
“If these atrocities continue, we will have no option but to suspend the transportation of goods to the South-East,” Zaki stressed.
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