Pandemonium as Truck drivers, Navy clash at Apapa port over extortion

Truck drivers yesterday protested at the Lagos port complex Apapa over alleged extortion by officers of Nigeria Navy and the Nigeria Police, even as one driver was believed to have been shot in the clash.

Business activities at port were paralysed as port users were seen running helter skelter for safety.

Eye witnesses told Nigeriamaritime360.com that apart from the extortion, the crisis was fuelled by allegation of serial corporate punishments metted out by naval officers on the truck drivers who are not willing to part with money.

An eye witness at the scene of the pandemonium told our correspondent that a combined team of military men, (OP MESA) was drafted to the gate of Lagos port complex Apapa where the battle was fierce.

According to the eye witness account, “Truck drivers were agitating that Navy should go back to their barracks that they don’t need them to load cargoes from the port”

“One person was shot during the fracas” she said

When contacted, Chairman of Dry Cargo Section of National Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO) Alhaji Innua Mohammed told our correspondent that the association has been appealing to the truck drivers for calm.

“Apart from the extortion, the corporal punishment and oppression is unbearable, coupled with the damaging of our trucks by the Navy, I believe the drivers protesting are at the receiving end”

“We have been trying to plead with them to be calm because, already, we have registered our complaints with the government and there some measures are being taken”

“We have been telling them to be patient, but some of them have been there for so long and tensions are high”

“The government has to look into this issue with the Navy, if we are having so much pirate attacks on our waterways, the Navy should be on that axis, but they are here on the hinterland” Innua stated.