• Govt. Decries Blockage Of Highway
The death of a commercial driver who was allegedly shot by armed personnel of a unit of security agencies on Kaduna-Abuja expressway provoked protest by vehicle drivers, thereby throwing the area into pandemonium.
Meanwhile, Kaduna State government has expressed concern over the blockage of the highway as a result of the protest, thereby subjecting motorists and other road users to acute suffering.
It was gathered that the driver of Peugeot J-5 bus, whose name is yet to be identified was shot by the armed security operatives around Olam, while on his way to Kaduna around 7:30a.m yesterday.
Irked by the ugly incident, both passengers and other drivers who saw what happened came down to protest the shooting of the driver as they parked their cars on the road blocking the highway.
An eye witness said that the drivers have refused to move their cars and have blocked both the road leading to and from Abuja causing a lock down along the route.
The eyewitness also pointed out that no car could move along the highway route as it was totally blocked, adding that more security personnel were deployed to salvage the situation.
However, in a statement issued by the Commissioner of Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan said, “a group of drivers blocked the Kaduna-Abuja Road to protest the killing of their colleague by a policeman”, noting that “The loss of life is deeply regretted”.
He said: “The Kaduna State Government commiserates with the family of the deceased driver and has directed that the police should thoroughly investigate the incident.”
Aruwan remarked, “however, grief and a sense of loss do not justify imposing such pains on other citizens as the protesting drivers have done by blocking a very busy public highway. They have left many people stranded for several hours and caused considerable distress.
“The Kaduna State Government apologises to road users for the inconveniences caused by the hours-long blockade.
“The road has since been opened and the protesting drivers cleared. However, the standstill created by the blockage has resulted in a gridlock that will take hours to clear. The queue of stranded vehicles stretches for several kilometres.
“Therefore, the state government appeals to all persons traveling on the Kaduna-Abuja highway to patiently cooperate with efforts to clear the gridlock. “
THE GUARDIAN
