Benue: Truck drivers block road over dispute with police

By Peter Duru, Makurdi

Articulated vehicle drivers transporting goods from the north to southern Nigeria on Thursday blocked the Adoka-Otukpo road to protest the alleged action of some police personnel on stop-and-search duty on that axis.

An eyewitness who gave his name as Tahir Ahmed said trouble started at about 2:20pm when a trailer load of cows fell into a ditch while trying to avoid a police barricade.

According to Ahmed, “The vehicle I was in overtook the truck when a policeman at the roadblock suddenly threw a spiked tree trunk on the road to try to stop a trailer.

“Unfortunately, a cow-laden truck which was speeding tried to avoid colliding with the trailer in front, fell into a ditch and fell sideways, leading to the death of some cows.

“Some of the young men who were on top of the vehicle escaped unhurt, but they ‘arrested’ one of the five policemen at the roadblock after four escaped.”

Villagers along the route expressed apprehension following fears that the police may have left the scene to seek reinforcement to forcibly remove the barricade and free the remaining policeman who was being held by the “driver’s assistants”.

One of the villagers, who gave his name simply as Ameh, expressed fear that the situation might escalate if not properly handled.

He said, “Some of the cows that survived have entered a nearby rice farm and have started grazing. The owner of this farm will not take kindly to this when he comes here.”

Efforts to reach the Police Public Relations Officer, Deputy Superintendent, DSP, Udeme Edet were unsuccessful.

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