Some trucks drivers yesterday descended on a truck owner at the popular Berger Cement bus stop along Apapa Oshodi express way over what they described as extortion.
Shipping Position Daily gathered that the fight started when drivers who have been on the queue waiting to assess the port discovered that preference was being given to a trucks owned by a popular truck owner, known as Iya Salami.
A member of the Road Transport Employees Association of Nigeria (RTEAN) who does not want his name in print told our correspondent exclusively that the truck drivers accused the truck owner of bringing some officers of the Nigeria Police Force in other to allow his trucks move freely to the ports without disturbance.
"He is a truck owner with over 200 trucks and he settles the Police for those trucks, so whenever he comes they allow his trucks to pass while other drivers have been on the queue for long. So the drivers now got angry, they said it is enough"
He added that the drivers in collaboration with some truck owners maintained that they are tired of the preferential treatment given to the trucker.
"The truckers are saying they don't want those preferential treatments that are being given to Iya Salami's trucks again. Some of them have been on the queue for the past two months now and they have not been able to assess the ports yet the man's truck drives to the ports freely"
"They are beating the hell out of Iya Salami and they are protesting, they even want to turn the trucks back. They are protesting that how can they be on the queue for this number of weeks and the Iya Salami’s trucks will come and pass straight. His trucks have gone up to three trips in a week, while they are yet to complete a trip" he alleged.
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