NURTW Crisis: Traders Count Their Losses As MC Oluomo Loyalists Clash With NURTW; Many Injured

By Akinwale Kasali

There was pandemonium in Fagba area of Lagos State, as loyalists of the newly appointed Chairman of Lagos Parks and Garages, Musiliu Akinsanya, popularly known as MC Oluomo engaged in a free for all fight with members of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, NURTW, over control of Lagos Parks.

Traders scampered for safety as loyalists of the Two Groups fought each other with dangerous weapons leading to series of injuries on both parties.

An eyewitness account disclosed that the fight occurred in a bid by the loyalists of MC Oluomo to officially take over the parks from NURTW, but this was met with resistance by those who were previously in-charge of the areas.

The clash which started mid day on Monday, and continued uninterrupted, degenerated and extended to Ogba in Ifako/Ijaiye and Pen Cinema where a yet to be ascertained number of people were injured.

It was gathered that traders in this areas are presently counting their losses, as the fight became an Avenue for area boys and street urchins to cart away goods.

One of the officials of the NURTW in this area who pleaded anonymity told this news medium that  immediately Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo Ol appointed MC Oluomo as the New Chairman of the Parks and Garages, they knew he was coming to cause chaos, exact authority and revenge his dismissal from the NURTW fold by the National Body.

According to him, “One of his loyalists from Yaya Abatan area was seen moving from garage to garage forcefully asking people to denounce their membership with NURTW and pitch their tent with ‘MC Oluomo’ but this came to its peak on Monday when some hoodlums arrived major parks simultaneously insisting that people denounce their membership with NURTW.

“This led to an altercation whereby those who refused to denounce their membership with NURTW were injured while others scampered for safety. Affected areas were Ogba, Ifako, Fagba and Pen Cinema where people including passersby were injured.” he said.

It was gathered that the crisis escalated at Pen Cinema, Agege, as hoodlums, wielding dangerous weapons took to the parks as traders and people ran helter-skelter  for safety. They were allegedly shouting, ‘say MC, say Oluomo’.’

Several people are said to have sustained different degrees of injuries with many hospitalized as at filing in of this reports in different hospitals within the said axis of the clash.

It took the intervention of the Police for calm and relative normalcy to return to the area as it was gathered that the Lagos State Chairman, Tricycle Owners and Operators Association of Nigeria (TOOAN), Alhaji Azeez Abiola, popularly known as Istijabah  alerted security operatives including the State Commissioner of Police, CP Abiodun Alabi, of imminent danger in the state.

It would be recalled that the crisis rocking the NURTW that degenerated into a bloody case following the sack of MC Oluomo as the Chairman, Lagos State Chapter of the NURTW. It started with a leadership tussle between him and Istijabah which lasted for some months.

The Lagos State Police Public Relation Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, is yet to comment on this development.