Tragedy unfolded over the weekend at Ogi Junction in Okigwe Local Government Area of Imo State, where two truck drivers were gruesomely murdered by unidentified gunmen. The attackers set the truck, which was loaded with gari, and the bodies of the drivers on fire. The vehicle was reportedly heading to Port Harcourt when it was ambushed in broad daylight.
The chairman of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) in Okigwe, Dahiru Musa, confirmed the incident, stating that security operatives—including the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) and Nigerian Army personnel—were alerted and visited the crime scene. The charred remains of the victims were recovered and later buried on Monday after funeral prayers.
Mahmud Jafaru, spokesperson for the NURTW Heavy Truck Division at Laranto Motor Park in Jos, identified the slain drivers as Haruna Muhammad and Adamu Ibrahim. He said the truck had departed Ayangade before meeting its tragic end in Imo State.
“This is one too many,” Jafaru said in a frustrated tone. “Northern drivers are being slaughtered like they’re worth nothing. Once you’re a northern driver heading to the South, especially Port Harcourt, you can’t rest easy. We’ve lost countless men and millions in property, yet nothing is done.”
He called on both federal and state governments, as well as security agencies, to act decisively to protect drivers who are being systematically targeted.
