A tipper driver, Francis Izuchukwu Udobi, narrowly escaped death in the early hours of Friday 13th June, 2025 when hoodlums allegedly working for officials of the Anambra State Road Traffic Management Agency (ARTMA) unleashed terror on him and his conductor.
The incident occurred in front of Young Shall Grow Park Upper Iweka Onitsha, shortly after he parked his truck to collect a waybill sent to him from Lagos State.
Narrating his ordeal, the tipper driver said after parking his truck with his conductor inside, he spotted five hefty men who swooped on his truck beating his conductor and raiding his vehicle.
“I rushed out immediately to know what was amiss only for the ARTMA recruited miscreants to panel-beat him with weapons to the point of death as the criminals almost chopped off one of his arms.
The tipper driver on his hospital bed said it took the timely intervention of people in the busy Park to rescue the two of them from untimely deaths.
He alleged that the attackers stole all valuable items in the truck including money for diesel.
He recalled how luck ran on one of the criminals who was caught and dealt with severely.
Unekwe decried molestation and intimidations
Commenting on the incident, Chairman, Tipper Drivers Association, Onitsha Zone, Comrade Chukwuebuka Unekwe regretted what happened to Mr. Francis Izuchukwu Udobi which he described as one of the numerous molestations and intimidations they are subjected to in Onitsha and other parts of Anambra State.
Unekwe alleged that tipper drivers have been subjected to all manner of victimization by ARTMA officials in Onitsha series of complaints to the Managing Director has yielded little or nothing.
He accused ARTMA officials of removing the Triangle Sign to incriminate the drivers of wrong parking.
They also seized their batteries which they are compelled to redeem with N250,000 in cash at ARTMA office in Onitsha.
He warned that tipper drivers may be compelled to resist any further attempts to inflict pains on their members, which may not be in the interest of the governor’s reelection bid.
He alleged that ARTMA officials recruited daredevil miscreants who operated in the early hours of the day without uniforms. According to him, another group of people operating in a shuttle bus and working for one Ochudo are the nightmare tipper drivers are facing in Onitsha.
Over ten vehicle batteries seized
Unekwe expressed concern that over 10 batteries of their trucks have been seized by ARTMA and that each time they go to recover their vehicle batteries, the ARTMA officials demand N250, 000 for each battery.
While commending the chairman Onitsha Zone of the agency for always calling the criminals to order, so they won’t drag the name of the Governor and agency in the mud.
Unekwe called for urgent help for Francis Izuchukwu Udobi whose hand was almost cut off by the hoodlums and is lying critically ill in agony and pains at the hospital.
When reached for comments, the MD of ARTMA, Mr. Emeka Okonkwo, stated categorically that the agency does not charge anybody N250,000 for retrieval of batteries.
He dismissed the allegation as totally false daring anyone to show receipt of payment or any other evidence.
On the alleged engagement of ununiformed touts for ARTMA’s jobs, he said anybody who is not on uniform does not represent the agency.
and that ARTMA works hand in hand with the Anambra State Anti-Touting Agency to arrest any ARTMA official that is not properly dressed let alone not wearing uniform at all, adding that every ARTMA officer has a unique identification number on his uniform.
