Mayhem as Truck Drivers, Task Force Officials Clash at Ports
*Truck driver dies, two patrol vehicles belonging to Lagos task force burnt to ashes
The Lilypond Transit Truck Park in Ijora, Apapa, was Thursday thrown into anarchy following a clash between protesting truck drivers and officials of the Lagos State Task Force.
The incident which started in the morning hours left one of the truck drivers who could not be identified as at the time of filing this report dead and a colossal damage to two patrol vehicles belonging to the Lagos State Government Task Force.
Some other facilities within the environment were also destroyed by the protesters.
The two vehicles belonging to the Task Force on the decongestion of the Apapa traffic were burnt down by the protesting truck drivers. .
There were conflicting reports as to the cause of the rift between the two believed to have started Wednesday.
A source said the truck drivers were protesting against alleged extortion by some officials .
But another source claimed that the protesters were those displaced by the raid carried out Wednesday by security operatives.
It was also gathered that some hoodlums apparently angered by earlier raid on some areas in Ijora joined in the protest.
The management of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) however in a statement said the hoodlums resisted the activities of the Lagos State Task Force on environment who were on a mission of restoration of law and order on the Port access roads and environment.
The General Manager, Corporate and Strategic Communications, Engr. Adams Jatto said apart from the death of one of the drivers, property worth millions of were equally destroyed in the process.
Jatto in the statement assured the general public that the situation has been brought under control and called on all those doing business in the vicinity to go about their businesses without fear of molestation.
The management of the NPA reiterated determination to render customer friendly services in a safe and secure environment.
The statement reads: “Recently, the World Bank report said that Nigeria had moved 15 steps from 146 in the Ease of Doing Business index. There is therefore need for government to build on successes accomplished in this regard so far. All hands must therefore be on deck in order to sustain this momentum”.
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