Tanker drivers protest alleged killing of colleague by Naval personnel

By Victor Ahiuma-Young Evelyn Usman & Bose Adelaja
LAGOS—Pandemonium broke out, yesterday, along the Apapa/Oshodi expressway, Lagos, following protest by tanker drivers over the alleged killing of one of their own by a Naval personnel.

It could however not be ascertained at press time whether the victim alleged to have been shot, was dead, as the protesting drivers blocked the entire expressway depriving motorists from plying the route.

Report said the tanker drivers had blocked the ever busy expressway for over three days, thereby increasing the already tensed gridlock on the expressway.  For a very long time, the situation has been managed by naval personnel who controlled traffic, thereby allowing flow of traffic in a snail pace.

Eye witnesses told Vanguard that trouble started after several warnings by the personnel to the tanker drivers to evacuate their trucks from the expressway before dusk   or station them appropriately to allow free flow of traffic was not heeded to.

Nobody could however tell what led to the brawl that necessitated the shooting of one of the tanker drivers  who was left in the pool of his blood till 6.30pm.

Contacted, spokesman for the Western Naval Command, Lieutenant Commander Jerry Omodara  said  the information was just reaching him, adding that he was making attempt to get details of what actually happened.

He posited however that if the claim was true, then it could have been an accidental discharge.  But he was quick to add that such accidental discharge was not  acceptable by the Navy as it had trained  its men on how to handle firearms. He also, stated that Navy  would not shield any of its  ratings who committed crime.

He therefore, appealed to members of the public not to take laws into their hands, in order not to rob the Navy  of the effort to ensure sanity in the area.

Also contacted, secretary of Petroleum Tankers Driver, PTD, branch of Nigerian Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, Lagos State chapter, Comrade A.Adebayo said the union was aware and was making attempt to control  the situation. He however blamed naval personnel over what he described as their over-zealousness and for also taking laws  into their hands.

He explained that the tanker drivers blocked the expressway to ascertain whether the victim, a marketer was dead.