Daud Olatunji
12 October 2012, Sweetcrtude, ABEOKUTA – FUEL tanker drivers, Thursday, barricaded the Lagos-Ibadan Express road for about 13 hours, leaving commuters and motorists stranded.
The trouble started in Ogere-Remo when a team of police escorts allegedly shot the tyres of a tanker laden with petrol with registration number JIGAWA XC 405 DUT at about 11 pm on Wednesday.
The incident later reportedly led to heavy traffic jam following the alleged damage of three tyres of the trailer, heading towards Ibadan.
In retaliation, other tanker drivers plying the road allegedly blocked the other side of the express road which caused another serious traffic jam at the Ogere axis of the road.
The Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, of Ogun Command, Muyiwa Adejobi, who confirmed the incident, said that the policemen who allegedly caused the crisis were not from Ogun State Command.
A Deputy Commissioner of Police from Eleweran in Abeokuta, Mohammed Abdulkadir later engaged the tanker drivers in negotiation before they agreed to vacate the road.
It was learnt that the Police had already agreed to pay the N250,000 cost of replacing the damaged tyres to pacify the protesting tanker drivers.
