Members of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) clashed in Owo, Ondo State, today following an alleged attempt by a faction of the union to take over the leadership of the organization in the town.
Commercial and social activities were halted for several hours as drivers shot indiscriminately and attacking themselves with matchetes, leading to several people sustaining varying degrees of injuries.
Residents and traders around the First Molac Hotel area and Ehinogbe Street of Owo, where the NURTW members clashed, ran in different directions for safety before hurriedly locking their shops.
Based on what was gathered, the crisis was allegedly sponsored by some politicians in the town, who are said to be preparing for the next year’s governorship election in the state.
The politicians were said to have directed their political thugs to chase away the current executive leadership of NURTW in the council area to pave the way for their own men to take over.
Trouble started when a man, identified as Jungunnu, moved around the town with some Okada riders, declaring himself to the residents as the new council Chairman of the NURTW in Owo.
An eyewitness said the self-proclaimed leader allegedly led his boys to the First Molac Hotel area, where a park is located and allegedly attacked the union leader there.
It took the intervention of riot policemen before normalcy was returned to the ancient town.
The union chairman in the council, Mr. Kolade Jasper, when contacted, said he had not received any letter from the national leaders that the local chapters of NURTW should be dissolved, noting that the leader of the rival group, who wanted to forcefully take over from him was not a member of NURTW.
He, however, appealed to the governor, Olusegun Mimiko, and the security agencies in the state to protect him from the incessant attacks of miscreants, who were not members of the union but claiming to be.
In his reaction, the state Police Public Relations Officer in the command, Mr Femi Joseph, who confirmed the incident, said the police were on top of the situation .