Truck Drivers Protest IPOB’s Killing Of Northerners In South East
Truck drivers on Sunday protested over the deliberate killing of Northerners in the South East by members of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
In a protest held in Jos, the truck drivers carrying placards, said government must take action to stop the deliberate senseless killings.
The drivers accused security agencies of taking no action whenever a Northerner is killed in the region despite repeated reports of such incidents.
“It is as if they are saying Northerners lives don’t matter in the South-East,” the protesters added.
The drivers displayed placards with inscriptions such as “Enough is enough”; “End the carnage, ensure smooth passage of northern truck drivers”; “We are united against violence, protect all drivers regardless of origin”.
The Plateau State Coordinator of Heavy Trucks, Janedu Ahamad Zaki, who addressed the protesters said time has come for government and its agencies to demonstrate that the life of every Nigerian matters.
“For the past eight years, truck drivers from northern Nigeria have been consistently targeted, killed, and had their trucks destroyed or burnt while transporting goods to the South-East.
“We are still trying to understand what offence we have committed to deserve this kind of barbaric killing,” the coordinator observed.
Janedu said that the “senseless and barbaric attacks” have so far claimed the lives of more than 50 drivers, with government and security agencies doing nothing about it.
He added that the targeted attacks by IPOB has led to the burning and looting of hundreds of trucks carrying goods such as cattle, grains, and perishable items.
“Between January and December 2024 alone, in communities such as Ihube, Okigwe, and Isuochi in Imo State, more than 20 drivers were brutally killed, and their trucks either burnt or damaged. Some bodies were recovered, while others remain missing.”
He cited a recent attack on January 28, 2025, where four drivers nemed Haruna Jibril, Bala Muhammad, Dalladi Jafaru, and Auwal Muhammad, were attacked between Lokpanta in Imo State and Umuahia in Abia State while transporting tomatoes to Port Harcourt.
Janedu said all the four were killed and their trucks emptied by the attackers.
“The perpetrators, after unloading the tomatoes, filmed the empty truck and sent the videos to us to confirm that they had killed the victims. When we called them to release the bodies, they told us to forget about them,” he recounted.
The Coordinator lamented that despite reporting the attacks to the Police Area Command in Okigwe, the Department of State Services, the Nigerian Army, and the Imo State Police Command, no action has been taken five weeks after.
“Just yesterday, suspected IPOB members in the Four Corner community of Nkanu West LGA of Enugu State opened fire on a truck carrying perishable items heading to Port Harcourt. Luckily, the driver and his assistants survived. These sad incidents continue unabated without any serious move to stop them.”
He identified the most dangerous points along the routes as Enugu to Lokpanta, Lokpanta to Okigwe, and Okigwe to Umuahia in Abia State.
Janedu said the fear of attacks has made it truck drivers to begin to shun the region while the destruction of the trucks is making drivers jobless.
He accused security agencies of turning a blind eye, and acting as if the life of Northerners in the region doesn’t matter.
“Despite continued reports of these incidents to various security agencies, including the police and military, no concrete actions have been taken to address the issue,” Janedu said.
“As Nigerian citizens, we believe we have the right to move freely and engage in legitimate businesses without fear of persecution. This level of brutality and disregard for human life is unacceptable, and we demand justice for our members,” he added.
The protesters demanded for immediate action from President Bola Tinubu, National Security Adviser, Chief of Defence Staff, the Chief of Army Staff, and the Inspector General of Police.
Jafar Mahmud, who spoke on behalf of the protesters, warned that “If these atrocities continue, we will have no option but to suspend the transportation of goods to the Southeast. It is high time the government rise to the occasion. We pray that Almighty God bless Nigeria and keep us united.”
