Petroleum Tanker Drivers have given a seven-day ultimatum to the Federal Government to arrest and prosecute security personnel who allegedly molest and kill tanker drivers.
The drivers, who are members of the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers gave the ultimatum at a conference in Lagos on Tuesday.
Its Chairman, Timothy Ogbu said the alleged molestation and killing occurred in Abuja and Plateau.
Ogbu said the drivers would boycott petroleum products supply to Abuja and Plateau if the government failed to address the situation.
Our member, 42-year-old Muhammed Saidu, was killed by a soldier at a boundary between Bauchi and Plateau states on Nov. 6.
We cannot continue to risk the lives of our members while trigger-happy uniformed personnel will be on the prowl endangering the lives of workers on duty, he said.
He said the PTD were demanding N50 million as compensation to the family of late Saidu who had two wives and children.
Ogbu said a tanker driver, whose name he did not disclose, was also killed in Abuja by an army man who was neither arrested nor prosecuted.
The chairman also alleged that some army men ceased a tanker carrying 33,000 litres of fuel in Port-Harcourt after a misunderstanding with the driver on Feb. 7
The tanker and its content have not been released in spite of all entreaties to the Army Barracks in Bori in Rivers as well as the Chief of Army Staff, Ogbu said.
He said PTD would no longer tolerate what he described as violation of their rights.
Joseph Akinlaja, a former General Secretary of NUPENG, said the drivers’ protest had become necessary to compel the government and security agencies to stop the alleged molestation and killing.
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