By Patrick Idowu
Hundreds of travellers were stranded on Saturday as enraged truck and tanker drivers blocked the Maraban Jama’a axis of the Jos-Abuja Road in Plateau State, protesting the alleged killing of their colleague by policemen.
The drivers, demanding justice, claimed that the victim had paid a N500 bribe at a police checkpoint before an officer suddenly attacked him with a plank, leading to his instant death.
“This is pure injustice,” said Haruna Ahmed, a fellow driver. “After paying, we were told to remove the barricades and continue our journey. But as the deceased was about to do so, an officer rushed in and struck him on the head with a bamboo. What crime did he commit to deserve this?”
Eyewitnesses accused security personnel at the checkpoint of habitual extortion, urging Inspector-General of Police Kayode Egbetokun to intervene and ensure justice.
As of the time of filing this report, the Plateau State Police Command had yet to comment on the incident.
