Bloody day in Oyo
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Bisi Oladele and Oseheye Okwuofu, Ibadan 25/02/2011 01:54:00
image Scene of horror: The burnt vehicles at the secretariat after the violence, yesterday PHOTO: FEMI ILESANMI

A bloody day it was in Oyo State yesterday. Seven persons were killed in two incidents.

An attempt by officials of the state government to demolish the secretariat of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) at Olomi, Ibadan, led to a two-hour shooting duel between the police and NURTW men. When the smoke cleared, two people lay dead.

The NURTW faction led by Alhaji Lateef Akinsola (a.k.a Tokyo) is locked in a running battle with the government, which is backing the late Lateef Salako (alias Eleweomo) faction.

Governor Adebayo Alao-Akala proscribed the NURTW and vowed to demolish its secretariat, an action that the Tokyo group resisted yesterday.

Also yesterday, five supporters of Alao-Akala died in a road accident at Moniya in Akinyele Local Government Area. They were on their way from Oyo where the governor, who is the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, launched his campaign.

The bus in which the victims were travelling, shidded off the road and somersaulted twice. The five people died on the spot.

The Unit Commander of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) at Moniya, Mr Adebayo Francis said 15 others were injured.

The commercial bus is registered XU479 KSF

Officials of the Ministry of the Environment allegedly led a team, consisting of over 200 riot policemen, to the one-storey NURTW building as early as 8:20 am.

Sources said the team came with five Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs), a lorry and trailer conveying a bulldozer.

They were said to have fired teargas canisters and live bullets when the Tokyo men resisted their forcible entry.

The deceased were identified as Nurudeen Azeez and Ismaila Agbojo.

One person was injured. He was taken to an undisclosed private hospital in the city.

After the government team left, the NURTW members protested the assault on their premises.

They made bonfires on roads leading to the area.

The Lagos-Ibadan Expressway was blocked. There was a massive traffic jam.

Motorists detoured; shop owners hurriedly closed down and ran for safety.

The lorry and trailer brought by the demolition team were burnt down by the protesters who also vandalised the bulldozer.

Spokesman of the Tokyo faction Yunus Olatunde urged the Federal Government intervene in the crisis.

He said the governor should respect last October’s court order, which restrained the government from demolishing the building, pending the determination of the case.

Commissioner of Police Adisa Bolanta said the command assisted the government with some policemen.

He said police vehicles were sent to the premises for security purpose.

Bolanta said the command sent a new batch of policemen to quell the violence following a distress call from the government team.

Residents were still in fear yesterday. But the Chairman of the Caretaker Committee of Oluyole Local Government Area Alhaji Kehinde Olaosebikan, assured them of the safety of their lives and property.

Olaosebikan, in a statement, condemned the clash between the NURTW men and the police.

The chairman praised the police for standing up to the union members.

He said "the government will continue to protect the lives and property of the citizens".

The Rashidi Ladoja Campaign Organisation condemned "the unnecessary shedding of blood and promotion of violence in Olomi."

The Accord Party governorship candidate, according to a statement, said Alao-Akala has no legal right to interfere in the internal affairs of the NURTW.
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pls can south westerners hear explain to me how NURTW have so much influence in govts there especially Oyo?are they so rich and powerful?are they not mainly taxi drivers?

These Yorubas are really rascals. Jonathan was right, afterall.

na wa oh

LOL. It is election time!!!

Ramon2:

These Yorubas are really rascals. Jonathan was right, afterall.

Welcome back "Omongbatim", !Babalola", "Igbobuigbo" Etc.

Yoruba no wan comment here?

This is unbelievable.