Truckers blacklist Karma Agro over alleged assault on drivers
To picket firm today
By Idowu Addison
The Lagos State Trucks and Cargo Committee (LASTCOC) has moved to blacklist Karma Agro Food and Feeds Limited, located in Ibadan, Oyo State, over the alleged assault on a truck driver and his motor boy at the weekend.
The committee has directed truck owners and drivers to suspend the delivery of consignments to, and the collection of goods from, the company pending a full investigation into the alleged assault and the prosecution of those found culpable
Issuing the directive in Lagos, Chairman of LASTCOC, Alhaji Lukmon Shittu, warned that any truck owner or driver who violates the order by delivering or picking up consignments from the company would face the wrath of the committee.
Recall that a video circulating on social media captured the moment some foreign nationals and their Nigerian collaborators allegedly dragged a truck driver and his motor boy out of their vehicle and demanded the truck keys, which the driver reportedly refused to surrender.
The refusal allegedly triggered a scuffle, during which officials of Karma Agro were seen grabbing the driver from behind, retrieving the keys from his pocket and assaulting both the driver and his motor boy before handcuffing them.
Besides LASTCOC, the Association of Maritime Truck Owners (AMATO) has also condemned the alleged assault, molestation and dehumanising treatment of a Nigerian truck driver, Mr. Rilwan Olajide, and his motor boy, Mr. Taiwo Yinusa, at the premises of Karma Agric Feed & Foods Ltd, located at Km 12, Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, opposite the old Ratcoc Quarry, over the weekend.
According to information, photographs and video evidence made available to the association, the two transport workers were allegedly physically assaulted and intimidated by Indian nationals, with the alleged involvement of company staff and security personnel, following a disagreement over their demand for demurrage compensation
AMATO described the incident as a serious violation of human dignity that requires urgent police investigation, stressing that no commercial dispute could justify violence, intimidation or degrading treatment of workers.
The association maintained that disagreements over demurrage payments must be resolved through lawful and peaceful means rather than force or abuse. It urged relevant authorities to investigate the incident, establish the facts and ensure that anyone found culpable is brought t
o justice.
