There was tension in some parts of Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital yesterday, when members of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) and the Ogun State Parks Management (OGSPAM) engaged in a bloody clash.
Our correspondent gathered that the clash, which left several people injured, took place in some motor parks in Lafenwa, Obantoko, Brewery, Ita-Oshin, Odeda and Kuto.
Recall that the state government had created OGSPAM after the activities of NURTW were suspended in the state in 2021.
In October, last year, the state government lifted the ban on NURTW and asked its leadership to take charge of revenue collection at parks.
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Our correspondent gathered that trouble started when the state Commissioner for Transportation, Gbenga Dairo directed the leadership of OGSPAM to stop the sales of revenue tickets, while NURTW was ordered to take over.
The new development, it was gathered, did not go down well with members of OGSPAM who stormed the parks on Monday with dangerous weapons and shot sporadically into the air.
Our correspondent who visited Panseke, Kuto, Lafenwa and Brewery motor parks in Abeokuta saw the presence of heavily armed policemen at strategic locations of the parks to guide against the breakdown of law and order.
When contacted, the transport commissioner asked our correspondent to wait for the ministry’s press officer, Babajide Jokotagba.
Efforts to speak with the press officer were unsuccessful as he neither picked his call nor responded to text messages.
The Commissioner of Police, Abiodun Alamut, confirmed the clash, but said the situation had been brought under control.
