Angry truck drivers in their hundreds, blocked the Makurdi-Enugu highway following an alleged shooting by a policeman at the Taraku checkpoint for a driver’s refusal to pay 3,000 Naira.

Speaking at the scene of the incident at Taraku in Benue State, a victim of the alleged brutality, Mr Mohammed Usman, told Channels Television crew that the unidentified Police officer demanded 3,000 Naira passage fee, but he could only afford 1,000 Naira.

He explained that the disagreement led to a verbal clash between both parties before the Policeman shot at his truck twice and punctured one of the truck tyres which cost 120,000 Naira.

When Channels Television crew approached the Policeman, who was surrounded by a mob, to get explanations from him, there was a stern warning from the Police officer to the journalists not take his side of the story.

An eyewitness at the scene of the incident, Isah Momoh, whose account corroborated the claim made by the truck driver, also condemned the act of extortion by Policemen on Nigeria’s highways.

Some villagers and other road users decried the frequent occurrence of civil unrest on the road which, according to them, is mainly caused supposedly by Police unethical behaviour.

•Photo shows the protesting truck drivers blocking the Makurdi-Enugu highway.