Ihiala: Truck Drivers Block Onitsha-Owerri Road, Wants Special Police Roadblock Mounted Against Unknown Gunmen Removed

Trailer truck drivers yesterday took their vehicles to the scene of Friday ghastly accident that claimed numbers of lives after a truck with 50 feet container failed brake and fell on 4 buses with 3 others badly touched.

The truck rammed into the stationed vehicles waiting for police pass at the special police roadblock mounted since the activities of the Biafra secessionist armed group known as unknown gunmen became more aggressive.

The Police roadblock as it was gathered, it’s to enable the special police team secure the Ihiala Police Divisional Headquarters and the Area Command which are the major stations remaining in the area as Unknown Gunmen activities have forced some other Police Divisions to close in the local government and its close environ.

The truck drivers yesterday used their vehicles to block the ever busy Onitsha-Owerri road for hours, demanding the removal of the roadblock which some of the drivers said have made motorists and other road users in the area to groan anytime they ply through the Ihiala portion of the Onitsha-Owerri road.

It would be recalled on November 28, 2021, a similar accident occured. A trailer truck with 50 feet container failed brake and rammed into passengers who were forced by the police team to come down from their vehicles with two hands up and trekked through the roadblock, killing over 21 persons and injured several others.

It was gathered it’s a routine practice for passengers except elderlies, pregnant women and nursing mothers to alight from their vehicles and trekked through the special police roadblock.

The special police roadblock as it was also gathered, it’s mounted between the hours of 8 O’clock in the morning and closes around 5 in the evening.

A development many described as unnecessary as the roadblock only exist to disturb road users. Some said if the Unknown Gunmen have the intention of attacking the stations, they could use other alternative hours the roadblock are not mounted.

Though, a check shows that the special police team have been attacked severally by the Unknown Gunmen and numbers of Policemen have been killed in the roadblock that is strategically mounted at Azia Junction which is believed to be one of the exit and entry points to unknown gunmen camps in the area.