Two persons have been feared dead and a dozen others injured as rival transport unions engaged each other in a pitch battle for control of parks and garages in Abeokuta and environs within the state capital.
The violent confrontations on Monday, March 18, involving rival National Union (NURTW) of Road Transport Workers at Lafenwa, Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN) and another, engaged each other in fierce battle over which group should have access to the parks and garages to work.
It was learnt that at Ita-Osin, Obantoko and Odeda parks where the clash was said to be serious, stones, bottles with jagged ends, machetes and wooden objects were freely used against each by the feuding transporters.
Two persons, whose identities were yet – to – be established, were said to have been cut down violently in the process while others had injuries inflicted on them.
But the Police Public Relations Officer for the Ogun State Police Command, SP Omolola Odutola, said there was no loss of life in the fracas, stressing that normalcy has returned to the affected areas.
SP Odutola added that the Command was still trying to gather information and piece them together to ascertain fully what transpired among the transporters in the state.
It was learnt that trouble started brewing among the transport unions when the Ogun State Government through the ministry of transportation allowed the emergence of a third force within the transport unions in addition to existing two – NURTW and RTEAN.
It was learnt further that the third force identified as OGSPAM and its members were supposed to work today, Monday, March18 at the parks and garages but a contrary directive said to have emanated from the state government agents, changed the arrangement and assigned the rights to use the parks to another rival union.
According to multiple sources, the led to resistance and the violence at the parks in Abeokuta.
