Tag: NURTW

National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) has inaugurated a seven-man panel to find a lasting solution to the incessant crises in its Oshodi, Lagos chapter.

This followed Wednesday’s clash between factions of the union in which many were injured and property destroyed.

Inaugurating the panel yesterday, Lagos NURTW chairman Alhaji Tajudeen Agbede charged its members to unveil those behind the fracas.

He gave the committee two weeks to do the job.

He said: “That Wednesday incident is very unfortunate and we shall get to the root of the problem. I can assure you that that type of ugly incident will not happen again in Oshodi. The committee is saddled with the responsibility of finding lasting solution to the problem.

“I am using this opportunity to warn our members in the state to go on with their normal business. The state council will not hesitate to deal with anybody fomenting trouble.”

OSHODI was tense yesterday as National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) factions fought over control of parks.

A faction gathered at Bolade bus stop, the other, on Brown Street, wielding sticks, cutlasses and other weapons.

Some traders hurriedly locked their shops for fear of being attacked; others stood far off, watching.

Some Rapid Response Squad (RRS) operatives with their Armoured Personnel Carrier were seen at Adekoya Street junction, monitoring the situation.

For over an hour, vehicles coming from Ikeja were held in traffic. They couldn’t go beyond Bolade.

Many motorists turned back in front of The Arena shopping complex.

Those coming from Mushin could not go beyond under the bridge, where they made a U-Turn.

An eyewitness, Segun Olawale, said the miscreants were fighting over ownership of parks.

“Can you imagine their level of rascality?  My findings were that miscreants are fighting over who to collect Agbero money. Some, who called themselves Omo Onilu (indigenous) are clashing with Omoluoke (foreign),” he said.

Another eyewitness, Sulayman Alamutu, a journalist described the atmosphere as scary, saying: ”The hoodlums holding bottles, big sticks and weapons were heading towards the Oshodi Isale where policemen are stationed with their guns and armoured tank.”

He added: ”As at the time we passed Bolade, the place was deserted; the traders had locked their shops while commuters walked in hastened steps. Gun-wielding policemen positioned themselves at Adekoya Street with an armoured tank.”

The Nation leant that two persons were injured in the fracas.

A source said hoodlums stormed an unnamed hospital on learning that an injured rival was being treated there.

Another group attacked an unnamed hotel which some touts use as hideout.

The situation was brought under control when an Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) led some RRS operatives to talk to the rival factions.

Commissioner of Police Fatai Owoseni led RRS Commander ACP Olatunji Disu and Chairman, Lagos State Task Force, Bukola Abe to visit the scene.

The National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Lagos State Council chairman Comrade Tajudeen Agbede has endorsed chairman, Tricycle Owners and Operators Association of Nigeria (TOOAN), Lagos Chapter, Prince Joseph Odusanya for a second term of four years.

Speaking at the swearing-in ceremony of the 21-man executive of the association at the NURTW secretariat, Abule-Egba, Agbede said Odusanya was endorsed because of his good leadership and transparent qualities which made his tenure peaceful.

He said: “For the first time, the running of the tricycle sector of our union was peaceful during the first term of Odusanya, unlike what obtained in the past. In all honesty, Odusanya is a good leader and disciplinarian who had been able to carry along all tricycle owners and operators with improving welfare.”

He urged the tricyclists to shun internal wrangling, bickering and other negative attitudes that could hamper the development mapped out for the association by its leadership.

Sixty-two-year-old chairman of Meiran branch of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) Wasiu Onibudo, has been accused of stabbing another member of the union to death.

Onibudo was alleged to have conspired with some other union members to kill Taiwo Ogunlaja during a NURTW meeting held last December 3 at the union’s headquarters on 365, Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway, Abule-Egba, Lagos.

The deceased was stabbed several times by Onibudo and others after a disagreement until he died, it was alleged.

Onibudo was arrested by the police and arraigned at an Ebute-Metta Chief Magistrates’ Court last Friday for alleged conspiracy and murder.

Prosecuting Police Inspectors Godwin Osuyi and Daniel Ighodalo told the court that the other suspects were at large. They urged Chief Magistrate Afolashade Botoku to remand the defendant in prison custody.

Osuyi filed an application pursuant to Section 264 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Law of Lagos State (ACJL), 2011 and supported it with a 10-paragraph affidavit deposed to by Inspector Bartholomew Ali of the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Monitoring Unit, Abuja.

Attached to the affidavit were a charge sheet; a petition written to the police by Plenary Solicitors; the deceased’s photograph; medical certificate of cause of death and a statement of a witness, Ahmed Balogun.

The prosecutor urged the court to remand the defendant pending the advice of the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP).

But the defendant’s counsel, Spourgeon Ataene, urged the court to discountenance the remand application by considering Section 264 (1)(2)(3)(4)(5)(9) and (10) of the ACJL and grant his client bail pending the DPP’s advice.

Chief Magistrate Botoku ordered that the defendant be remanded in prison custody for 30 days, pending the DPP’s advice.

She also ordered the police to duplicate the case file and forward it to the DPP.

The matter was adjourned till February 29.