There was tension in Benin City, Tuesday morning, following the killing of a yet to be identified tipper driver by an officer of the Department of State Services (DSS).
In a swift reaction, members of the Edo State Tipper Drivers Association, chanting solidarity songs, protested to the State office of the DSS on High Court road, Sapele road, Benin City.
The protesting drivers blocked the various roads leading to the DSS office with their heavy duty trucks, which resulted in sporadic shootings by operatives of the DSS.
The development led to panic by civil servants whose offices were located close to the area as they scampered for safety.
It was gathered that trouble started at the Ikpoba Hill axis of Benin City where some members of the tipper drivers were controlling traffic on the road.
According to sources, some DSS operatives dressed in mufti, inside a vehicle, decided to use the wrong lane of the road, in a bid to avert the gridlock and the tipper drivers tried to turn them back, unknowing the men were DSS officials.
The source added that a DSS man inside the vehicle allegedly opened fire on one of the tipper drivers controlling the the traffic and he died instantly.
It was alleged that the DSS officials immediately arrested three of the tipper drivers and bundled them away in their vehicle, which resulted in protest by colleagues of the tipper drivers who consequently moved their protest to the DSS office.
As at press time, PRIMACY NEWS gathered that authorities of the Tipper Drivers Association, who disclosed that the arrested members have been released while the Association has instructed their lawyer to filed court action against the DSS.
The Association Chairman, Comrade Austin Uhunmeagho, stated that events in the coming days would revealed whether the Tipper Drivers will embark on a strike action or not.
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