Debo Adeoye, Ibadan
Factions of the state chapter of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), engaged in violent clash over the weekend. The clash led to a scramble that saw some residents of Egbeda area of Ibadan, the Oyo state capital fleeing for dear lives. With this development, those people expecting violence to be thing of the past among the NURTW groups in Oyo State may have to wait till crab starts blinking eyes.
It was learnt that trouble started around 8am when a former chairman of the union in the state, Mukaila Lamidi (aka Auxiliary), in company of some of his men and two officers of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps invaded the house of an estranged aide, Musliudeen Muideen, with guns, axes and other dangerous weapons. As gathered by the Puoreports.ng, they were alleged to have arrived Musliudeen’s house in a convoy of six vehicles and started shooting sporadically.
It was gathered that apart from beating and shooting Musliudeen, members of his household including his brothers were dealt with, the victims also accused them of carting away two android phones belonging to Musliudeen’s brother; as residents who had sporadic gunshots fled. Prior to the attack on Musliudeen that same day, the alleged attackers had visited the house of one Kabiru Adekunle (aka Golden Fish), also a former aide of Auxiliary. Kabiru, according to our source had received privilege information from his associate that Auxiliary and his men are coming for his life had fled home before their arrival.
Efforts of the Puoreports.ng to speak directly to Auxiliary proved abortive, his phone was not reachable. But his spokesman said the claim was not true, alleging that some members of the union, were out to paint Auxiliary in black for the Governor, Mr. Seyi Makinde to stop his impending announcement as the new NURTW chairman. He added that Auxiliary would not have descended so low to the extent of attacking or causing problem that will tarnish his name at the very time.
The spokesman, Alhaji Ahmed Raheem who introduced himself as the spokesman for Auxiliary said the allegation was an attempt to destroy his reputation, stating that as a peace loving person, he would never engage in acts that would bring disrepute to the state.
Raheem disclosed that Auxiliary had intelligent report that some hoodlums were planing to attack people to tarnish his name and went there with the NSCDC officials to arrest them and subsequently handed them over to men of the state joint security task force.
However the victim, Musliudeen while speaking with journalists on Sunday, said his house was invaded by six vehicles loaded with NURTW members and two NSCDC men brandishing dangerous weapons, stating that he if it were to be in the night he would have been killed.
He added that after he was beaten to the point of death and his family members traumatized, he was driven to the headquarters of the state joint security task force, Operation Burst, and handed over to the state Commander.
Another member of NURTW attacked, Kabiru Adekunle, said he bolted away from his house immediately he was informed by a source that the members of the union were heading towards his house.
The duo then called on Governor Seyi Makinde, to save the state from being turned into a battle field with those they described as miscreants lording themselves over others.
When contacted, the Commander of the Operation Burst, Captain Osolo, who confirmed that some NURTW men were brought to the outfit, said he released the men when he discovered that nothing incriminating was found on them.
