Truck drivers on Friday mounted a roadblock on the busy Bauchi–Jos highway at the Miri axis of Bauchi metropolis in protest after a colleague’s truck tyre was allegedly damaged by revenue enforcement agents.
The spokesperson of the Bauchi State Police Command, SP Nafiu Habib, said in a statement issued on Friday that the driver’s tyre burst after officials of the Federal Government haulage unit inserted a metal blocking device on the road when he failed to stop for revenue checks while approaching Bauchi from Jos.
He explained that the incident angered other truck drivers, who immediately blocked the highway, disrupting the free flow of traffic in solidarity with their colleague.
Responding to the situation, the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of ‘B’ Division, CSP Holman Simon, alongside CSP Abdulrazak Padah, Officer in Charge of Operation Restore Peace (ORP), intervened at the scene.
Habib said the DPO engaged the drivers,
listened to their concerns, and paid the sum of N310,000 to the affected driver to replace the damaged tyre.
This led to the peaceful dispersal of the protesters and the reopening of the road.
The police further confirmed that two suspects were arrested in connection with the breach of public peace.
The Commissioner of Police, Sani Omolori, commended CSP Simon for his prompt and diplomatic response and appreciated residents of Bauchi State for their continued cooperation with the police.
Police pay N310,000 to protesting truck drivers blocking Bauchi-Jos road
