Revenue Collectors In Anambra Kill Truck Driver

There was pandemonium at Ogidi, Idemili North Local Government Area of Anambra State, Tuesday, following the beating to death of a truck driver by revenue collection authorities in the state.

The incident led to the blockade of the Onitsha-Enugu expressway, resulting in traffic gridlocks.

THE WHISTLER gathered that trouble began around 4am when the deceased truck driver was accosted by the revenue collecting officials.

The deceased was said to have driven a trailer laden with plywood from Ghana, and was asked to pull up by the revenue collectors at the Onitsha end of the Niger Bridge, where he was allegedly asked to pay the sum of N10, 000.

“He refused to pay,” a truck driver told our correspondent. “Another set of revenue agents came. They tried to block him, but he was able to drive his way to the building materials market. The revenue officials trailed him to the market, where they caught him and beat him to death.”

An eye witness said, “The argument escalated, resulting in the killing of the driver. His colleagues came and blocked the Onitsha-Awka-Enugu expressway to protest the death of their colleague.”

The national chairman of the Heavy Duty Drivers Association, Mr Rogers Uche, told newsmen that, “The government should disband the revenue agents. How can they pursue a trailer that drove from Ghana, after passing through seven rivers and mountains? Then killed him when he got to his destination. They must compensate the bereaved family.”

The police spokesperson in the state, Tochukwu Ikenga, said normalcy had been restored to the area.