Police arrest NURTW members over Lagos violence as Accord Party seeks union’s ban

The Lagos State chapter of the Accord Party (AP) has asked Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to proscribe the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) following repeated violence by its members.

On Thursday, factions of the NURTW had clashed over the control of motor parks on the Lagos Island area of the state, leaving several people, including traders and commuters, injured.

The fracas, which extended to Friday, also paralysed business activities.

In a statement issued by Dele Oladeji, publicity secretary of AP, the party asked Sanwo-Olu to tame the union by proscribing it immediately.

The party said the recent violence in the state was one too many among the members of the NURTW.

“Again, the members of the NURTW were enmeshed in a deadly fight on Lagos Island which was reported to have resulted in the untimely death of some four youths,” the statement reads.

“This deadly clash created a security scare, in which innocent and hardworking residents of Lagos had to scamper into shops, crevices, under tables, and inside gutters for dear lives.

“Many rushed into shops and were locked in with the shop owners, just to stay away from stray bullets or being caught up in the fracas. Traders were forced to shut down their businesses, which led to the loss of transactions running into billions of naira.

“We advise the Lagos State governor to, with immediate effect, proscribe the NURTW for a peaceful and safe Lagos city.”

The party added that the union’s action had always defied the security set up in Lagos and had created a state of insecurity among residents.

“Ask an average resident of Lagos, and they will tell you they live and commute in utter fright of these ‘union boys’ daily on the streets and roads,” it added.

“Gov. Sanwo-Olu should rise in service to residents of the state and proscribed these lawless groups for a safer Lagos State.”

Meanwhile, the state police command said it had arrested some members of the union over the clash.

Adekunle Ajisebutu, the police spokesperson, said normalcy had returned to Lagos Island.

He, however, did not mention how many people were arrested and where they were being detained.

“The police have quelled the crisis. Sufficient facilities were deployed in the area immediately, we received a distress call, and normalcy was restored,” he said.

”Investigation into the crisis is ongoing.”