Eleven members of rival factions of Ekiti State chapter of Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN) were wounded yesterday during a clash in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital.
Houses, shops and other property belonging to union leaders and members were vandalised.
Assorted weapons were said to have been used in the fracas.
The victims sustained deep cuts on their heads, necks and other parts of their bodies.
They were said to be supporters of the RTEAN Southwest Zonal Chairman, Chief Isaac Fatimehin (aka Ayinrin) and Ekiti RTEAN chairmanship aspirant, Mr. Adebayo Aderiye (aka Ojuigo).
The union has been battling a crisis over attempts to change the union’s leadership following the last governorship election in the state.
Fatimehin accused a former RTEAN state chairman, Chief Rotimi Olanbiwonnu (aka Mentilo), of being responsible for the attack and destruction of his shopping complex.
He said: “We have been having violent attacks on our people since Friday. These attacks were led by Mentilo, who has been bringing thugs with guns, cutlasses and other weapons to attack our people.
“As I speak with you, 11 of our people are in the hospital. They sustained deep machete cuts on their heads and other parts of their bodies.
“Mentilo is not happy that the national body of our union, headed by Alhaji Musa Isewele, is considering Ojuigo as the Acting Chairman for our union in Ekiti.
“This is why he is bringing armed thugs to attack our people in my house. We were at the national meeting in Abuja and I arrived last Thursday. Ojuigo and Mentilo had gone to Abuja before me.
“The truth is that Mentilo had chaired the state’s RETAN for over nine and a half years. This is why the national body is considering Ojuigo, who has not tasted the leadership of the body in the state before.
“On Saturday, when I was called on this matter by Sunday Adeola, a leader in our union who is supporting Mentilo, I told him that I had explained to all parties that those who have chaired the state chapter of our union before should retire like me and allow others who haven’t been there to have their turn. I said we should retire and be godfathers for others.
“I explained again that the Mentilo caucus had not come to see me to seek my support on their ambition but Ojuigo had done so, and he has got my support.
“I pleaded with him not to be violent in pursuing their ambition, saying I wanted peace as the father of all parties and caucuses.
“He then advised that I have a meeting with the two parties of Mentilo and Ojuigo and I said that it was okay. But I said I would like to have a meeting with him first. He said it was okay and cut the line.
“But it wasn’t up to 30 minutes after we spoke that armed thugs came to my shopping complex on Adebayo Road in Ado-Ekiti and unleashed terror on everyone.
“They macheted members loyal to Ojuigo, especially those who were in my custody. But they didn’t touch me. They vandalised the shops and broke doors and windows of the shopping complex and my house behind the complex.
“We reported the matter to the police station at Oke Ila but we were referred to the state command where our men were again referred to the Oke Isa police station where the hospital treated some of our injured members.
“The police in Ekiti have not taken concrete steps on this matter as they seem to have allowed Mentilo to continue to unleash terror on our people.”
But Isewele, who spoke on phone, claimed that Olanbiwonnu is no longer a member of RTEAN.
The union leader said a state caretaker committee, led by Mr. Lekan Amusan, had been set up to oversee the affairs of the troubled union.
He said: “We have also set up a caretaker committee, which offered to settle the matter between the parties but Ojuigo and Mentilo failed to reach a peaceful pact. So, we asked the committee to continue leading the union.”
Olanbiwonnu, who maintained that he remained the RTEAN caretaker chairman in the state, denied involvement in the attack.
According to him, he has been trying his best to resolve the crisis.
