Commercial activities were disrupted at the ever-busy Obalende area of Lagos, yesterday, following a violent clash between members of National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), and the Road Transport Employees Association of Nigeria (RTEAN).
Dangerous weapons, including guns, were used during the free-for-all. Commuters scampered for safety in the ensuing fracas to avoid being hit by stray bullets, while motorists hurriedly made U-turns.
Vanguard gathered that there had been an ongoing move to take over parks in contention by one of the parties, an action that had taken both parties to the Police in Lagos command and the Force Headquarters, Abuja.
It was gathered that a meeting between members of the unions was fixed for yesterday at the Force Headquarters, Force Criminal Investigations and Intelligence Department, Alagbon. The fight reportedly broke out at Obalende while the meeting was ongoing.
Leaders of both parties blamed one another for the cause of the fight when Vanguard contacted them.
The media aide to the Chairman, NURTW, Lagos Chapter, Mr Jimoh Busari, told Vanguard that members of RTEAN invaded his union’s park early yesterday and attacked his members, in a bid to forcefully take over the leadership. He said but for the intervention of other members of his union and the Police, the situation would have gone out of hand. (Vanguard)