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SP Nafiu Habib, Bauchi police spokesperson
A police officer in the Bauchi State Police Command has personally paid ₦310,000 to a truck driver to avert a potential breach of public peace that could have resulted in the destruction of property.
The development was disclosed on Friday in a statement issued by the command’s Public Relations Officer, SP Nafiu Habib.
According to him, at about 8:45 a.m. on Friday, January 16, 2026, the command received information from the Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Bauchi State chapter, about a blockage of the Bauchi–Jos road around the Miri area by truck drivers.
"Upon receipt of the report, a team of detectives led by the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of ‘B’ Division, CSP Holman Simon, in collaboration with CSP Abdulrazak Padah, Officer in Charge of Operation Restore Peace (ORP), swiftly mobilised to the scene and took professional and diplomatic steps to resolve the situation,” Habib said.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the incident began when a truck driver travelling from Jos to Bauchi was stopped by a Federal Government haulage revenue agent who demanded payment of stipulated fees.
"The driver did not stop immediately, prompting the revenue collectors to place a blocking device in front of the truck. The driver ran over it, resulting in a burst tyre and a heated disagreement,” the PPRO explained.
Following the incident, other truck drivers reportedly blocked the busy highway in solidarity with their colleague, threatening public order.
Habib said professionalism prevailed when CSP Holman intervened, appealed to the drivers, and requested their demands.
"In a display of maturity and commitment to peace, the DPO personally paid the sum of ₦310,000 to the affected driver to enable him replace the damaged tyre,” he said.
The intervention led to the immediate dispersal of the trucks, restoring free flow of traffic on the road. Two suspects were, however, arrested in connection with the attempted breach of public peace.
The Commissioner of Police, Sani-Omolori Aliyu, commended CSP Holman for his exemplary conduct and appreciated residents of Bauchi State for their continued support and cooperation with the police.
(Nigerian Tribune; with headline rephrased)
