Many injured as NURTW members, okada operators clash in Lagos

Several persons were injured on Monday at Ojo Local Government Area of Lagos yesterday as commercial motorcycle operators and members of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) engaged in fight over toll collection.

The fight, which began with exchange of stones among members of the union and the motorcyclists, soon degenerated into a full-blown crisis, as sporadic gunshots were heard at the scene.

Many persons were injured during the violent clash, which lasted several hours. The Lagos State Police Command has, however, restored normalcy to the Iyana Iba/Alaba Rago and Ojo areas, debunking rumours of ethnic clashes.

According to the spokesman for the command, CSP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, the Commissioner of Police, Hakeem Odumosu, had ordered immediate deployment of additional police personnel to the area to maintain law and order as he also directed the Area Commander, Area E, FESTAC, to personally be on ground to monitor the situation and invite the leaders of the affected Okada riders’ unit for an urgent meeting.

‘’The command wishes to debunk the rumour that the disagreement, not violence as being peddled in the social media, was between some ethnic groups. Without mincing words, the incident has no ethic colouration whatsoever, but a mere conflict between transport unions and their Okada units on ticketing and increment in tariff,” he said.

Adejobi enjoined members of the public, especially those around the areas, including the students of the Lagos State University (LASU), Ojo, to go about their lawful businesses and studies respectively, as adequate deployment had been done to fortify security in the axis, and by extension, Lagos State in general.