Drivers under the umbrella of Tipper Drivers Association, on Tuesday, blocked the ever-busy Ring Road in Benin City over an alleged killing of their member by the operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS).
The situation, which brought vehicles from adjoining roads such as airport road, Sapele road axis to halt, unleashed hardship on transporters and commuters, including air passengers scheduled for evening flights, as most had to trek a long distance to get to their destinations.
It was gathered that the victim, who was allegedly shot by a DSS officer, was assigned by the association’s leadership to control traffic near their union office at Ikpoba Slope, Benin City, occasioned by a tanker that developed a fault, making vehicles at the axis to drive against traffic.
It was also learnt that three other persons were arrested in a clash between the drivers and the operatives at Ikpoba close to the office of the drivers.
Angered with the situation, the protesting drivers with their trucks drove all the way from their office at Ikpoba to the state command of the operatives and demanded the release of their arrested colleagues.
Speaking with newsmen in Benin City, Austin Uhunmwangho, Edo State chairman of Tippers Drivers Association, said “there was a Hilux blaring siren and driving one way, and on sighting the Hilux, the tipper drivers controlling the traffic allowed the vehicle to move on because there were security operatives inside.
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“After the Hilux, one other Audi car drove behind; and the drivers controlling the traffic attempted to stop the vehicle for using wrong way but unknown to them the car was also conveying plain-clothes operatives.
“And before a blink of an eye, the DSS operatives opened fire which resulted in the death of a tipper driver”, he said.
But a source at the DSS office, however, alleged that hoodlums pounced on some operatives with guns and various dangerous weapons in a bid to free arrested kidnappers in Ikpoba Slope in Ikpoba Okha local government area of the state.
According to the source, “the hoodlums got a tip-off that the DSS operatives have arrested three of their men who are involved in kidnapping and decided to lay siege on them by the popular Tipper Garage by the Temboga Junction to free them.
“The hoodlums, upon sighting the DSS operatives, pounced on them with guns and various dangerous weapons. The DSS operatives sustained varying degrees of injuries from the attack while their vehicles were also damaged. A female among them was attacked by the hoodlums.
“The hoodlums engaged the operatives of the DSS in a fierce gun battle but they (hoodlums) succumbed to the superior powers of the DSS resulting in the death of one of the hoodlums.
“Three of the suspected kidnappers were eventually arrested and are cooling off in the custody.”
