Trailer drivers protest, block highway in Ondo

FILE PHOTO

Trailer drivers, on Thursday, blocked the busy Owo/Ikare Akoko Expressway in Oba Akoko in Akoko South West Local Government Area of Ondo State, protesting over alleged unprofessional conduct of policemen at the highway.

The protesting drivers alleged that a policeman shot at the tyres of one of the trailers following the refusal of the driver to stop when he was stopped by the policemen at the checkpoint.

It was gathered that the action of the policeman infuriated the trailer drivers plying the route, protesting and blocking the road for several hours, as there was no alternative motorable road for them to go to their various destinations.

An eyewitness explained that the road was blocked for more than three hours as the trailer drivers insisted that the police must buy a new tire to replace the spoilt one, and threatening not to leave the road until the policeman pay N250,000.

The eyewitness said: “The drivers, many of them, those coming from Lagos and those coming from the Northern part of the country, blocked the road. They insisted that the police must replace the tyre that was spoilt.

“Inspite of the plea by the senior police officers who came around to the scene, the drivers insisted that they were not going to leave the road. They were there for over three hours. During the protest, there was no movement to and fro anywhere on the highway.”

He, however, said the matter was resolved by the police but could not confirm if the police paid the angry drivers before they decided to leave the road

When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer, Mrs Funmilayo Odunlami, confirmed the blockage of the expressway by the drivers but said the details were still sketchy as at the time of the conversation with her.

“I don’t have the details but I heard about trailer drivers blocking the highway. I will send the details when I get the information,” Odunlami stated.

YOU SHOULD NOT MISS THESE HEADLINES FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE

FALSE! Yoruba Not An Official Language In Brazil

Claim: A national newspaper and multiple online platforms claim Brazil has adopted Yoruba as its official language and that the language would be included in primary and secondary schools curriculum.

Verdict: The claim is false. The content of the article published by these online platforms is not new; it has been recirculated several times and has been debunked.

Hakeem Gbadamosi