It was gathered that the driver mistakenly hit one of the wooden barriers the soldiers used to block the road.
Nigerian soldiers stationed near the Okolowo axis in Ilorin have reportedly shot an unidentified truck driver along Eiyenkorin – Jebba expressway in Kwara State.
It was gathered that the driver mistakenly hit one of the wooden barriers the soldiers used to block the road.
Speaking with SaharaReporters on Sunday evening, the Chairman of Gagan Youth Transportation of Nigeria, Mr Usman Jabba, lamented how “overzealous soldiers consistently block the road to extort motorists”.
Jabba said, "This is the 15th time we’d have this kind of experience with them this year. They harass drivers who refuse to give them money, and many drivers have been shot in different locations.
"As they blocked the road, the driver was trying to manoeuvre, and he didn't know that he had hit one of the wooden barriers they used to block the road. You won't see them during the day; they resume around 6 pm and extort motorists until morning before they leave.”
He said the soldiers followed the vehicle, shot its tyres and dragged the driver out.
According to Jabba, after dragging the driver out of the vehicle, they shot him and fled, leaving him in a pool of blood.
"On many occasions, I have personally experienced harassment from soldiers, and they behave as if they are second only to God,” he said.
Mr. Jabba called on the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Taoreed Lagbaja, to investigate the incident and apprehend all the soldiers involved in the shooting of the unarmed driver.
An eyewitness identified as Muhammad Nurudeen told SaharaReporters that tanker drivers had blocked the highway in solidarity with their colleague who was shot.
"As I speak to you, they have blocked the express road. The soldiers who shot the driver have run away. Something needs to be done before it escalates," he said.