NO fewer than 20 people were feared killed yesterday morning in Sango-Ota, Ogun State, as two opposing factions of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) turned the boisterous town to a theatre of war over the control of the Sango Motor Parks.

Yesterday’s mayhem occurred barely three weeks after a similar incident in Ifo and Ijebu-Ode, which claimed the lives of six people, leading to the disbandment of the NURTW in Ijebu-Ode. A few days before then, there had been a similar clash between factions of the union in Ijebu-Igbo in which lives were also lost.

The Sango clash came just 24 hours after an Abeokuta State High Court struck out an application challenging the conduct of a proposed election by a faction of the union in the state.
Also, following last Thursday’s fatal robbery incidents at the Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU), Ago Iwoye, Ogun State, and a deep-seated feeling of insecurity, banks in that university community and across major towns in Ijebu area of the state have shut their doors against their customers for three working days, starting last Friday.

The Guardian learnt that the banks took the step on the advice of the State Police Command.

According to a banker in Ijebu Ode who asked not to be named, “the police told us to shutdown our operations pending the time the Ijebu Bankers’ Forum would meet with Governor Ibikunle Amosun to discuss the security situation in the whole of Ijebu area, which is now under siege by armed robbers.”

The situation has created a huge cash crunch problem for residents of Ijebu-Ode, Ijebu-Igbo and Ago-Iwoye as their funds are trapped in the banks, whose ATMs have also ran dry.

Meanwhile, Amosun has pledged to wage “total war on armed bandits” in the state.

He made the pledge yesterday while receiving leaders of the Ijebu Bankers’ Forum in Abeokuta, the state capital.

Consequently, the governor has ordered 30 Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs) to assist the police and other security operatives in combating armed banditry and other violent crimes in the state.

Ten of the APCs, according to a statement by Funmi Wakama, Senior Special Assistant (Media and Communication) to the governor, would soon arrive the state.

Amosun tasked security operatives in the state to be more active, stressing that the frequency of armed banditry in the state did “not speak well of the competence of the security men.”

Chairman, Ijebu Bankers’ Forum, Olusegun Olusoga, informed the governor of the security challenges facing their operations and appealed for government’s assistance.

Pandemonium broke out in Sango on Monday night when a faction of the union took steps to forcefully overthrow a faction of the NURTW in the town.

This met stiff resistance and clashes ensued all night, with sporadic gunshots.

Yesterday morning when the police doused the tension, 10 people have been killed. One of the victims’ remains were left under the Sango bridge, which is still under construction, in the pool of his own blood.

Scores of other people were seriously injured in the mayhem, including an employee of the construction giant, Julius Berger Plc, who was stabbed on the neck.

There were, however, conflicting figures of casualties as some said eight while others claimed the number had risen to 20.

When The Guardian visited the scene, commercial activities in the area was grounded, as shops were under lock and key. All the banks also locked out customers in the area.

Armed police personnel drafted to the scene frisked passersby who were ordered to raise their hands up as they passed on.

But despite the security beef-up, the fracas spread to the neighbouring Ogba Iyo in Ijoko, a suburb of Sango around 11.00 a.m. and residents of the area were forced to run for their lives.

When The Guardian visited the Sango Police Station to confirm the number of casualties, the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) was reportedly on the field to monitor the situation.

The State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Muyiwa Adejobi, confirmed the incident.

He said: “There was a minor fracas in the morning and it was caused by NURTW members over the control of the motor park, but the command has drafted its men to the scene.

“We are even sending more men there; we are sending additional 40 men to that place. We are trying to make some arrests. We must arrest some people for peace to reign in that place. That is what the command is trying to do now.”

On the number of casualties, Adejobi said: “I don’t know the number of casualties. For now, I don’t have the exact number. Nobody can say somebody is dead; a medical doctor has to certify. The CP has not given us the exact figure. We have deployed APC. Everybody should go about their lawful business.”

The Guardian learnt that the incessant clashes by the NURTW factions could not be unconnected with an alleged failure of the union leaders to conduct an overdue election for new leaders for the group.

According to sources, the tenure of the current union leaders in the state had expired, “but they have refused to conduct election for new leaders.”

For this, some aggrieved members of the union went to court and Judge Peter Onamade of the State High Court, Abeokuta, ruled that the union leaders whose tenure had ended should give up their positions for the conduct of fresh election to elect new leaders.

Source: http://www.ngrguardiannews.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=67792:20-feared-killed-in-ogun-nurtw-clash-&catid=1:national&Itemid=559

NO fewer than 20 people were feared killed yesterday morning in Sango-Ota, Ogun State, as two opposing factions of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) turned the boisterous town to a theatre of war over the control of the Sango Motor Parks.

I may be naive but I wonder what is so special bout motor parks that causes so much deaths in the SW?

Something is just not right here

Never again please. Not long ago it was in Oyo state and we all know what happened.