Truck drivers and owners transporting goods from northern Nigeria to the Southeast have staged a protest in Jos, Plateau State, over the relentless killings of their members and the destruction of their vehicles by suspected members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB). The drivers, under the banner of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (Heavy Trucks), marched through the streets carrying placards with messages like “Stop Killing Northern Drivers,” “Tinubu Should Protect Our Members,” and “Enough of Burning Our Trucks in the Southeast.”
The protesters identified some of the most dangerous routes as Enugu-Lopanta-Okigwe and Okigwe to Umuahia in Abia State. They lamented that over the past eight years, their members have been targeted, killed, and had their trucks destroyed or burned while transporting goods to the Southeast.
Mahmud Jafar, who led the protest, addressed journalists with a heavy heart, recounting the harrowing experiences of truck drivers. “For the past eight years, truck drivers from northern Nigeria have been consistently targeted, killed, and had their trucks destroyed or burned while transporting goods to the Southeast. We are still trying to understand what offense we have committed to deserve this kind of barbaric treatment,” he said.
Jafar revealed that over 50 drivers have been killed, many are still missing, and hundreds of trucks have been burned, damaged, or stolen. He added that goods, including cattle, perishable items, and grains, are often deliberately destroyed or stolen by the attackers.
One of the most recent incidents occurred on January 28, 2025, when four truck drivers—Haruna Jibril, Bala Muhammad, Dalladi Jafaru, and Auwal Muhammad—were killed while transporting tomatoes to Port Harcourt. Their trucks were emptied, and the perpetrators filmed the vehicles, sending the footage to the owners as proof of the killings. When the owners demanded the release of the victims’ bodies, they were told to forget about them.
Jafar said the incident was reported to the police, DSS, and military authorities in Imo State, but no action has been taken to recover the bodies or the trucks. “Just yesterday, suspected IPOB members in the Four Corner community of Nkanu West LGA, Enugu State, opened fire on a truck carrying perishable items heading to Port Harcourt. Luckily, the driver and his assistants survived the attack. These sad incidents continue unabated without any serious move to stop them,” he added.
Hassan Shitu, NURTW chairman of the Laranto Branch, said the drivers and truck owners have been pushed to the wall and are now calling on the government to intervene. “Our challenge is that we live in the northern part of the country, but we find it difficult to operate in the eastern part. They beat our drivers, damage our vehicles without any provocation. Just recently, they seized our truck, and the drivers are nowhere to be found,” he said.
Truck owners who joined the protest described the killings and destruction as a threat to national security. They urged the federal government to conduct a thorough investigation, identify the attackers, and prosecute them. Pankes Moses, a truck owner, said, “We are transporters and transport goods from the north to the east, but we are facing many challenges. We don’t know if the state governments are aware of what is happening. We pay all the revenue, but yet we’re not safe.”
The drivers and truck owners have threatened to boycott transporting goods to the Southeast if the attacks continue. They are pleading with the government to take immediate action to ensure their safety and security.
As the protest highlights the growing tension and insecurity on these routes, many are calling for urgent intervention to prevent further loss of lives and property. The drivers’ plight underscores the broader challenges of national unity and security, as well as the need for dialogue and collaboration to address these issues.
