File: Gridlock

Jethro Ibileke/Benin

Wild protest by commercial drivers plying the Benin-Lagos highway over the killing of two passengers of the Young Shall Grow Transport Service by armed robbers grounded movement on the road for several hours.

The victims include a pregnant woman and another male passengers committing in the luxury bus.

Commuters from both ends of the highway were stranded for several hours, as the protesters barricaded the highway.

Also, vehicles conveying various newspapers from Lagos to Benin, including The Sun, Nigerian Tribune, Complete Sport, Daily Independence, The Guardian and Business Day, could not arrive the distribution point, located in the premises of the NUJ secretariat in Benin until about 2 pm.

A driver with the Ezewanta Transport Service and his conductor who were said to have sustained gunshot injuries, were said to have been taken to an undisclosed hospital for treatment.

The driver of Complete Sports van, Mr. Suleman Tajudeen, who arrived at NUJ Press Centre at 2:20 pm, said the luxurious bus drivers blocked the road to protest the killing of the victims by the armed bandits and the frequent robbery attacks on the Benin-Lagos express road.

He related that all appeals to the protesters to open the road for them fell on deaf ears, insisting that they will remain until the government puts an end to the robbery attack on the road.

Tajudeen said at the heat of the protest, the luxurious transport union of the zone who called for the protest went to ascertain the health conditions of those shot by the armed robbers and were told by the doctors that they were in a stable state of mind and that the sum of N35,000 should be deposited to commence treatment on them.

The stranded passengers and transporters were said to have been mobilised to contribute money to clear the hospital bills of the gunshot victims.

He said the union having been satisfied with the response gotten from the commuters and other drivers, decided that the road should be cleared for vehicular movement.

Edo Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Joseph Kombe, could not be reached for comments as calls made to his mobile phone were not unanswered.

It would be recalled that on 1, June 2017, armed robbers shot and killed passengers on Benin-Lagos Express road which led to the closure of the road by protesters leaving commuters stranded for several hours.