Members of the Tipper Drivers Association have blocked the River Niger bridge over alleged extortion by naval officers stationed at the bridge in Onitsha, Anambra state, South East Nigeria.
Gatekeepers News reports that the protest was said to have started over the alleged refusal of a tipper driver to give a naval officer N1,000.
The naval officer allegedly shot and damaged the tyres of the tipper over the incident.
Following the development, tippers have obstructed the motorway, preventing the bridge from being used and causing serious gridlock.
The president-general of the association, Ebuka Unekwe, said they are protesting the “incessant molestations and dehumanising treatment” meted out on them by naval officers in the area.
Unekwe also said the extortion of N1,000 from the tipper drivers by the Navy began in March.
He said the drivers will not clear the road until the government intervenes, replaces the damaged tyre and caution security agents against collecting “illegal fees” from them.
