Rival transport union members clashed in Itori, Ewekoro Local Government Area of Ogun State, with the situation leaving several people injured.
Our correspondent gathered that the violence occurred on Tuesday in the presence of the state governor, Dapo Abiodun, who was at the ‘Itori Day’, an annual festival organised by the Olu of Itori, Oba Fatai Akamo.
It was further gathered that leaders of the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria and their counterparts in the Ogun State Park Management, attacked one another, firing gunshots.
It was reported that some of the union leaders sustained serious bullet and machete injuries, with the crisis disrupting the festival for hours.
Our correspondent learnt that the union leaders, including some motorcycle union members had followed Governor Dapo Abiodun and other government functionaries to the event.
It was said that while some leaders of the rival unions sustained varying degrees of injuries, those with metaphysical powers proved their mettle by escaping unscathed.
An eyewitness said the Chairman of the RTEAN in Ogun, Akibu Titilayo, popularly known as Efele and others were attacked in the fracas.
Efele was said to have been shot in the leg and had been hospitalised over the injury.
It was gathered that the violence erupted over ticketing, especially as it had to do with the newly-approved Ogun State Operations Management Service, which triggered the chaos.
Sources told our correspondent that the Chairman of the OGSPAM, Akeem Abodunrin (aka Iyeru), and his members were not pleased with the new union which Efele is in support of, being an Ijebu man.
“At least, four persons sustained injuries in that riot,” a source told our correspondent anonymously.
Meanwhile, the state police command has talked tough and threatened to arrest culprits.
The state police spokesman, Abimbola Oyeyemi, confirmed the incident, saying those behind the riot would be brought to book.
Oyeyemi, who said no arrest had been made yet, stressed that the police would not allow any group or individual to turn Ogun into a battlefield.
Though Oyeyemi said the police could not pinpoint those behind the incident, he agreed that they were transport union members in the state.
“It is true there was a riot at Itori Day yesterday (Tuesday), though we didn’t record any casualty. The hoodlums fought one another and went away immediately. But we are on their trail. Because we will not allow these hoodlums to be taking us for granted, we will not!
“One, this is festive period; second, the election is fast approaching. So, we should not allow some group of thugs to be carrying out thuggery and brigandage in Ogun State. We have sounded that note of warning. All those who perpetrated that crime yesterday, we are on their trail and we will get them.
“We were told they were transport union members, even though we cannot pinpoint anybody. The actual cause of that crisis is what we want to find out, and we are going to lay our hands on those who were involved,” Oyeyemi threatened.
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