Three Killed, Scores Injured As NURTW, RTEAN Members Clash Transpor In Lagos
LAGOS OCTOBER 16TH (NEWSRANGERS)-At least three people have been confirmed killed with many others seriously injured as two factions of transport unions clashed between Wednesday night and Thursday in the Mile 2 area of Lagos state.
THEWILL gathered that the clash is not unconnected with the ongoing battle for the control of motor parks between members of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) and the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN) in the state.
The two unions have for some time now battled over the collection of toll from truck drivers in the Apapa area of the state.
The latest clash is the second in less than a week as 15 people, suspected to be members of RTEAN were on Tuesday shot at Tin Can First Gate and Fatgbems in Apapa by gunmen suspected to be members of the rival union group.
The gunmen had on Wednesday night invaded the truck park in Mile 2 where RTEAN members were collecting tolls from truck drivers who were going into the Tin Can Port.
They reportedly opened fire on the union members, killing three of them in the process while others were injured.
It took the intervention of military men and a combined team of policemen to thwart another bloody clash between the two unions on Thursday.
The clash between the two unions occurred after the Lagos state government had stopped the two unions from collecting any money from truck drivers in the area.
But trouble was said to have started about two months ago when members of the NURTW increased the toll from N800 to N2,000.
RTEAN were said to have kicked against the increment, insisting that the truck drivers were their members and not members of the NURTW.
A truck driver, who spoke under the condition of anonymity said: “We were paying N800 before but about two months ago, it was increased to N2,000. When we made enquiries from the union representatives, we were told that the increment was done by the NURTW people who joined them.”
“When they were fighting, the Lagos state government ordered the two of them to stop collecting any money from us but they have continued to collect it.”
The Vice-Chairman of the Lagos chapter of RTEAN, Adeola Adeyemi, who confirmed the incident to newsmen, said “As I speak to you, I am at Area ‘E’ Festac, to document the murder case against members of the NURTW.
“I have also officially written to the Special Assistant to the Lagos State Governor on Transportation, Mr Toyin Fayinka, on the attack. We are still waiting to hear from him.”
Calls to police spokesman Adekunle Ajisebutu were not answered.
But an official of the NURTW said the matter was not about unionism, rather about some boys wanting to get money from a container owner.
He admitted that some of those boys were members of NURTW and RTEAN.
“They started fighting over money from a container owner and because some of them are union members, the matter escalated to union issue and police have intervened,” he said.
It was gathered that the Lagos state government has summoned leaders of the warring unions to a meeting.
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