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Monday, December 19, 2016

N10, 000 tax: Truck drivers block Abuja-Lokoja-Okenne road



Gradual movement of vehicular traffic returned to the Abuja-Lokoja-Okenne Expressway in Kogi State, on Monday, after it was blocked for more than eight hours by protesting truck drivers.

The drivers were protesting what they described as exorbitant taxes by the Kogi State Board of Internal Revenue Service.

The truck drivers blocked the road to protest what they described as 100 per cent hike in tax.


It was gathered that the truck drivers had arrived the NATACO area in Lokoja as early as 7am to embark on the protest.

The protesting truck drivers urged the Kogi State Government to revert to the old rate of N5,000.

A driver, who identified himself as Oseni, said that the state government had subjected them to untold hardship with the latest tax.

The road, which serves as one of the major links between the North and South, was blocked for about eight hours by the truck drivers.

The protest caused a heavy traffic jam as the truck drivers completely stopped vehicular movement on the road.

One of the motorists trapped in the gridlock, Mr. Isaac Ighure, said that he had remained on the same spot on the road for over three hours.

Ighure described the development as bad for the state and the country, especially when it was happening a few days to Christmas.

According to the state Commissioner of police, Mr. Abdulahi Chafe, the drivers and other stakeholders will meet on December 21, 2016 to find a lasting solution to the problem.

The protest led to a total blockage of the major highway for hours, thereby, inflicting serious pains on passengers coming to and from the northern and southern parts of the country.

The drivers eventually called off their protest after a meeting with the officials of the board and the state commissioner of police.

The state FRSC Sector Commander, Mr. Abayomi Omiyale, said that traffic flow on the road had been restored.

He appealed to drivers to be patient and not to resort to speeding because of the long delay.

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