THE National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), on Sunday, March 2, reportedly staged a protest in Jos, Plateau State, over the alleged killing of northern truck drivers by members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) in Nigeria’s South-East region.
The protesters were seen carrying placards with inscriptions such as; “Enough is enough,” “End the carnage, ensure smooth passage of northern truck drivers,” and “We are united against violence, protect all drivers regardless of origin.”
The state coordinator of Heavy Trucks Plateau State Council, Janedu Ahamad Zaki, was quoted to have described the attacks as “senseless and barbaric.”
“For the past eight years, truck drivers from northern Nigeria have been consistently targeted, killed, and had their trucks destroyed or burnt while transporting goods to the South-East. We are still trying to understand what offence we have committed to deserve this kind of barbaric killing.
“Between January and December 2024 alone, in communities such as Ihube, Okigwe, and Isuochi in Imo State, more than 20 drivers were brutally killed, and their trucks either burned or damaged. Some bodies were recovered, while others remain missing,” Zaki reportedy said.
He stressed that on January 28 this year, four drivers — Haruna Jibril, Bala Muhammad, Dalladi Jafaru, and Auwal Muhammad — were ambushed between Lokpanta in Imo State and Umuahia in Abia State while transporting tomatoes to Port Harcourt.
He said all four were killed, and their trucks were emptied by the assailants.
“The perpetrators, after unloading the tomatoes, filmed the empty truck and sent the videos to us to confirm that they had killed the victims. When we called them to release the bodies, they told us to forget about them,” Zaki recounted.
Zaki lamented that no security action has been taken despite the incessant attacks and reports to security operatives.
“Just yesterday, suspected IPOB members in the Four Corner community of Nkanu West LGA of Enugu State opened fire on a truck carrying perishable items heading to Port Harcourt. Luckily, the driver and his assistants survived. These sad incidents continue unabated without any serious move to stop them,” he added.
He asserted that Enugu to Lokpanta, Lokpanta to Okigwe, and Okigwe to Umuahia in Abia State, are the most dangerous routes.
He also lamented that the destruction of trucks has led to the loss of billions of naira by truck owners and worsening economic hardship among union members.
“Despite continued reports of these incidents to various security agencies, including the police and military, no concrete actions have been taken to address the issue,” he stated.
The protesters called on the federal government, under the administration of President Bola Tinubu, the National Security Adviser, the Chief of Defence Staff, the Chief of Army Staff, and the Inspector General of Police, to take immediate action.
They further warned that truck drivers might be forced to suspend the transportation of goods to the Southeast, urging the government to hold IPOB leaders accountable for the alleged atrocities.
The ICIR has reported severally on the spat of insecurity in the region fuelled by the activities of the proscribed IPOB.
In November 2024, the federal government, through the minister of defence, Mohammed Badaru, said it had renewed its determination to intensify efforts against all forms of insecurity in the southeast.
Over the years, the IPOB had continued to enforce a sit-at-home order in the southeast, as Nigerians in the region appear helpless amidst the presence of security operatives.
In 2023, micro-businesses in the region lost an average of N4.618 trillion ($10.495 billion) in one year to the sit-at-home order; The ICIR captured in a report.
