Truckers operating in the maritime industry have threatened to down tools over rising cases of attacks on truck drivers, with concomitant killing of drivers, extortion and damage to vehicles.

Speaking at a meeting on Wednesday, President of Lagos State Truck and Cargo Committee, LASTCOC, (a Committee made up of various truck Unions and Associations) Mr. Lukmon Shittu called on the government to intervene to stem this ugly trend adding that that most trucking and haulagebusinesses are running at a loss.

Shittu also said that the activities of these criminals have led to a drastic increase in the prices of goods and services.

He explained that the committee has done everything possible to bring the attention of both the Lagos State and Federal Government and nothing has been done to checkmate the activities of the hoodlums across the streets of Lagos.

He said: “We are through this medium making a clarion call to Mr. President, the Inspector General of Police, National Security Adviser, theDirector General of DSS, the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy and Chairmen of National Assembly Committees on Maritime Transport Affairs to come to the rescue of Maritime Transport Operators and our national economy and truckers from extortion bandits masking under leadership of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, NURTW and Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria, RTEAN and Local Government workers to inflicteconomic loss and hardship on hardworking citizens.”

The truckers demanded that the Federal Government should declare an outright ban of mounting of road blocks and checkpoints for toll collection on major highways in line with sections of the Taxes and Levies act 2004 which prohibits any person, including a Tax Authority from mounting a Road block in any part of the Federation for the purposes of collecting any Tax or Levy.

Similarly, OluwadareAyilara, a truck owner, said that the continued extortion and activities of these hoodlums will be reflected on the prices of goods and services.

Sani Bala Vice President of the Association of Maritime Truck Owners, AMATO and trucker said the unchecked activities are compounding the inflationary trends currently being experienced in the nation economy. (Vanguard)