Tension gripped the Bridge Head–Upper Iweka area of Onitsha after a road crash left two people hospitalised and several vehicles damaged. The victims alleged that officials of the Anambra Road Traffic Management Agency (ARTMA) were responsible for the incident, which caused heavy traffic along the busy Asaba–Onitsha Expressway before police officers from the Bridge Head Division stepped in to restore order.
One of the victims, Mrs. Chinwe Onyekwe, said the trouble began after she dropped off a passenger near Relief Market. She claimed an ARTMA official stopped her and demanded money, but she explained that she only had ₦500 left after buying fuel. According to her, the official insisted she had committed a traffic offence and entered her vehicle as they headed to the ARTMA office. She alleged that while they were arguing over where to stop, a commercial bus rammed into the back of her vehicle, leaving the bus conductor, Mr. Nonso Oseoloka, seriously injured.
The incident sparked outrage among commercial drivers, who blocked the road and reportedly attacked the ARTMA official. Reacting to the development, a member of the Onitsha Bus Drivers’ Taskforce, Mr. Austin Chibueze, said transport operators have continued to face harassment from some ARTMA officials while carrying out their daily activities. He called on the Anambra State Government to investigate the allegations and ensure that those responsible are held accountable.This version keeps the allegations clearly attributed while reading more like a report written by a Nigerian journalist.
