The Commercial vehicle drivers in Rumuokoro Roundabout in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area have staged a protest over the killing of their colleague by operatives of the Rivers State Task Force on Road Congestion, calling on the authorities to bring the killers to justice.
The angry drivers under the umbrella of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, Rivers State branch said the driver was killed on Sunday.
They, however, took over the Rumuokoro Roundabout with placards, including those that read ” No more Taskforce”, “Wike save us”, and “We’re tired of Extortion.”
The protest forced passengers to trek to their various destinations and stalled business activities and vehicular movements around the Rumuokoro axis.
They claimed that the deceased driver was going about his lawful duty of loading and conveying passengers to their destinations when the officials of the Task Force pounced on him.
They said that despite calls by fellow drivers for calm and order, the Task Force officials descended on him and used a stick to hit his head, noting that he lost his life in the process.
One of the protesters, Emeka Ibe, who claimed to be the victim’s brother, said the deceased was physically assaulted by the Task Force official who hit him on his head with a stick.
‘My brother had finished loading passengers and pleaded that they should allow him to carry a friend in the front. The Taskforce people refused, punctured his tyres and removed the battery of his vehicle.
“Due to the beating, my brother slumped. He was rushed to a nearby private hospital in Rumuodomaya where he was referred to UPTH where he was confirmed dead at about 3
(New Telegraph)
