By Samuel Adeola
Heavy-duty truck and tipper drivers on Friday barricaded the Abuja-Lokoja Expressway to protest alleged extortion by police officers.
Union treasurer Kasim M. Gana said the protest followed the seizure of a member’s truck by the local Divisional Police Officer (DPO), who allegedly demanded ₦50,000 for its release.
The driver was reportedly on his way to load timber when he was stopped at a checkpoint.
The drivers mobilised around 11:43 a.m. and blocked the busy highway, accusing the DPO of repeated harassment, including chasing a truck with a patrol vehicle that got damaged weeks earlier.
They also cited a separate incident where a truck with brake failure rammed into drums at the same checkpoint along the Abaji-Toto Road.
However, FCT Commissioner of Police, CP Ajao Saka Adewale, dismissed the extortion claims, saying the truck was impounded because the driver lacked valid vehicle documents.
He assured that the situation was under control.
