NURTW rival members clash in Lagos; one dead, many injured

The fragile peace that ensued among rival groups of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) in Lagos State since the January stabbing of NURTW leader, Musiliu Akinsanya, a.k.a. M.C. Oluomo at the APC rally, was at the weekend shattered, leading to the death of one and maiming of many other members of the body.

The clash took place between the rival members of the union in Apapa Iganmu area of the state.

It was reported that the two rival groups supporting the elected national president, Alhaji Tajudeen Ibikunle Baruwa and the Lagos chairman, Alhaji Tajudeen Agbede.

It was gathered that the clash, which took place on Friday evening, saw market women, commercial vehicle operators, and private car owners running for their lives, when a faction linked to Alhaji Baruwa, headed by Comrade Sulaimon Kudeti, branch chairman B, Apapa, blocked the main road at Ijora 7-Up area, to celebrate the emergence of the newly elected national president of the NURTW, Alhaji Tajudeen Baruwa, who defeated Alhaji Tajudeen Agbede’s faction in the just concluded election of the union in Abuja.

It was further gathered that members of the other faction belonging to Agbede on the same day also organized a separate party in honour of their leader at NURTW secretariat, Oko-Oba, Agege. The union members allegedly refused to get the approval from both the police and the Apapa-Iganmu local council before they blocked the road for the party. The attack on Agbede’s faction, with dangerous arms and ammunition by the Baruwa group, a source said, caused severe injuries on members linked to Agbede.

Based on credible information from members of the public, the Divisional Police Officer (DPO), lJora Police Station, Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) Akinola Olufemi, swung into action with his men to arrest the situation from degenerating into full-blown crisis.

The police subsequently rushed the injured members, including Yusuf Rilwan, Rasheed Olaiya, Hammed Adeniyi and Rilwan Isiaka, to Randle General Hospital, Apapa, for treatment.

One of the victims, Yusuf Rilwan, who was stabbed with a knife and soaked with blood, was referred to Federal Medical Centre (FMC) in Surulere, for medical attention, where he later died.