Hoodlums armed with cutlasses have attacked a truck driver, Dallami Yunusa, at Ogi Junction in Okigwe Local Government Area of Imo State, leaving him injured before setting his vehicle ablaze.
The Chairman of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Heavy Truck Unit in Okigwe, Dahiru Musa Raza, confirmed the incident to Daily Trust on Sunday.
Our correspondent reports that the attack occurred barely two months after two drivers were killed and a truck was burnt in a similar incident at the same location.
The vehicle in that earlier case was loaded with garri and heading to Port Harcourt.
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Narrating the latest incident, Raza said it happened on Tuesday after the truck developed a mechanical fault.
“The driver went into town to get a mechanic. While they were repairing the truck, two men arrived on a motorcycle wielding dangerous weapons, including cutlasses. The mechanic and the two assistant drivers managed to flee, but the attackers went after the driver, inflicting serious injuries on him. Thinking he was dead, they set the truck on fire and fled,” he recounted.
Raza said that upon receiving news of the attack, he alerted military personnel in Okigwe, who rushed to the scene, found the driver still alive, and took him to hospital.
He added that the day after the incident (Wednesday), the injured driver was moved to Dala Orthopedic in Kano, where he is currently receiving treatment.
Raza said the matter had been reported to the police in Okigwe.
When contacted, the spokesperson for the Imo State Police Command, Henry Okoye, said he had yet to be briefed on the incident but would reach out to the Divisional Police Officer in the area for details.
