The Lagos State police command has arrested five following a clash between loyalists of the newly appointed Chairman of Lagos State Parks and Garages Management Committee, Musiliu Akinsanya, alias MC Oluomo, and Chairman of Tricycle Owners and Operators Association of Nigeria (TOOAN), Azeez Ajibola, popularly known as Istijabah
This is as the crisis rocking the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) in the state in the wake of Oluomo’s suspension by the national body of the transport union worsens.
The clash between the two camps on Wednesday, which happened at about 8am at Ayobo bus stop, spread to Megida, Alagbado and its environs, with residents scampering for safety, was, however, brought under control by security agents, who stormed the area.
Witnesses said trouble started when MC Oluomo’s loyalists stormed Ayobo to forcefully take possession of the garage from TOOAN, whose members resisted the move.
Another account, however, has it that the fracas was between Istijabah’s loyalists and those of one of his executives identified as Pastor, who pulled out of the NURTW to join Oluomo’s committee.
He was said to be manning one of the garages around the area, Vanguard reported.
Upon the ban on activities of the NURTW by the Lagos State Government, Pastor was said to have opted out of the union to join MC Oloumo’s group.
But he insisted on maintaining the supervision of the garage, a decision that reportedly did not augur well with Isitjabah, who was quoted to have told him to go and meet Oluomo to give him another garage to manage.
When contacted, however, personal assistant to Oluomo, Buhari Jimoh, stated that Oluomo’s loyalists played no role in the fight.
“The clash was between Isitjabah and one of his executives, who wanted to leave the NURTW since the government had suspended its activities in Lagos,” he said.
“As a former member of the executive, he controls a garage. But Isitjabah’s boys prevented him from operating in the garage. The man went to get policemen to man his garage yesterday. But when the policemen left, Isitjabah’s boys invaded the garage again.”
On his part, Isitjabah accused Oluomo of allegedly taking over 20 parks and garages that were under TOOAN’s supervision.
According to him, the initial promise by Oluomo was not to forcefully collect any park from NURTW members.
One of his aides, identified as Moshood, said: “My boss is an easy-going person. We have been waiting for the meeting between Oluomo and other executive members of NURTW to discuss how the garages and parks would be shared without violence.”
In the meantime, operatives of the Rapid Response Squad, on Wednesday, arrested five people in connection with the crisis.