‘Araba’ drivers clash with traffic officers in Idu

The disagreement, which some of the drivers said lasted for some minutes, occurred not far from the Idu police outpost where the traffic officers mounted a checkpoint along Gwagwa-Karmo road.
One of the drivers who spoke to City News said the traffic officers had no business mounting a checkpoint or arresting the drivers along the road notorious for Araba drivers.
He said since the drivers have been banned from the city they have restricted their movement to outskirts but the traffic officers could stop them from fending for their families.
“This is the place where the fight took place; it was a small thing, and it happened because the VIO officers were asking for our papers, and arresting our vehicles. Finally the officers agreed to give us three months to get all our vehicle papers,” a driver who would not want his name published said.
 Another resident, Chuks Onah, said the drivers actually had a clash with the officers, “Go and check the hand of the officer with three stars to confirm what I am telling you. Why won’t they allow the drivers to live in peace,” he said.
The officers at the checkpoint declined commenting on the issue but the Director, FCT, Directorate of Road Traffic Services, Danjuma A. Garba said what happened was not a clash but a protest.
“The drivers were protesting over why government asked them to renew their vehicle papers when the roads are bad but there was no fight no quarrel because the issues were addressed.