There was tension in Jalingo, the Taraba State capital on Friday as tricycle operators blocked several major highways while protesting the alleged killing of one of their colleagues by unidentified suspects.
The operators carried out the protests on Friday afternoon, causing gridlock in the area.
Nukkai, ATC and Micheline were among notable roads affected by the protest by the grieving tricycle operators.
The state chairman of the Association of Tricycle Operators, Abdullahi Bello, in an interview at the scene of the protest, disclosed that the victim was murdered by individuals posing as passengers.
Narrating the way he died, the chairman said the culprits made away with their victim’s tricycle after booking hiring him to convey them to a location.
Bello recounted, “What transpired was that some of our drivers, working during the night, were approached by passengers who chartered their tricycle. Tragically, these passengers not only took the driver’s life but also absconded with the tricycle.
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“The incident occurred on Nukai bridge during the night, and by morning, I had dispatched my Jalingo branch chairman to retrieve the victim’s remains. However, before we knew it, protests had erupted throughout Jalingo.”
In addition, the chairman expressed concern that the protest had been infiltrated by troublemakers, resulting in damage to his office. He noted that if not for the timely intervention of soldiers and the police, his office might have been completely destroyed by the enraged protesters.
He called upon law enforcement agencies and the state government to spare no effort in apprehending the culprits responsible for the violence against their members.
Several protesters, in conversations with our reporter, vowed to continue protesting until those responsible for the crime were brought to justice.
Also confirming the incident, the state police command, through the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) Abdullahi Usman, said the command has commenced investigations to unravel those behind the killing.