Travellers and motorists were stranded for several hours on Tuesday after members of the Road Transport Union, Heavy-Duty section, blocked the Imo River Bridge along the Port Harcourt–Aba Expressway in protest against alleged illegal levies.
The protesting drivers said their action was to resist what they described as unauthorised charges allegedly imposed by the Chairman of Etche Local Government Area, Boniface Njoku.
Speaking to our correspondent, one of the union leaders, Okechukwu Didia, appealed to Governor Siminalayi Fubara to intervene, alleging that taskforce officials collect as much as ₦27,000 from each driver. He questioned why a local government authority would be collecting revenue on a federal highway.
Other heavy-duty truck drivers joined in condemning the alleged extortion, saying the practice was crippling their businesses and making it difficult for them to stay afloat.
The blockade resulted in a massive traffic gridlock, forcing dozens of commuters to trek long distances to reach their destinations, while many others remained trapped in the standstill for hours.
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