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From Aloysius Attah and Jeff Amechi Agbodo, Onitsha
Motorists and commuters were left stranded for hours, yesterday, in Onitsha, Anambra State, as a result of protest by truck drivers against the activities of touts.
The major roads linking the Upper Iweka roundabout from all fronts, including the Awka Road, BridgeHead to Upper Iweka, Owerri Road and Ezeiweka Road, were all blocked following the previous day’s (Monday) sit-at-home order, where vehicles and travellers, especially trucks, stayed off the roads in the South East.
It was gathered that the revenue collectors, in a bid to collect money from the driver, chased the truck driver to a gutter trapping the conductor inside the ditch.
The incident angered the truck drivers, who used their vehicles to block the major road in protest, causing serious gridlock for about five hours, between River Niger Bridgehead and Borromeo roundabout, along Enugu-Onitsha expressway, where travellers spent hours before continuing their journey outside the state.
A witness, Ngozi Onyebuchi, said the accident at Upper Iweka, Onitsha, was caused by the illegal revenue collectors who chased the truck driver to a ditch.
“The truck driver was being chased by the illegal revenue collectors and, in the process of trying to escape, the driver ran into a ditch. When the driver could not control his vehicle, he fell into the ditch and jumped out, but his conductor was not lucky to escape and was trapped for some hours before help came,” she said.
A trader at the Onitsha Main Market, Kenneth Okoye, who spent over three hours on the road while going to the market from Awada area, said: “Relevant agencies should help travellers and other road users passing through Onitsha; the situation is very harrowing.”
However, confirming the situation, the Sector Commander, Federal Road Safety Corps, Anambra State, Adeoye Irelewuyi, said the trapped victim had been evacuated alive and taken to the hospital.
“The trapped victim has been successfully evacuated alive and taken to Borromeo Hospital for proper medical attention. However, the truck drivers are presently protesting against the activities of touts (agberos), which led to the crash in the first place. FRSC personnel and other agencies are trying to appeal to the protesting truck drivers, who blocked the expressway to allow reason prevail,” he said.
