Commercial activities in Owo local government area of Ondo State was on Tuesday disrupted for four hours following a clash between members of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) in the area over attempt by a faction to hijack the leadership of the union.
The clash, which saw NURTW members in the area shooting sporadically and attacking themselves with cutlasses, let to no fewer than 10 persons sustaining injuries.
Residents and traders around First Molac hotel area and Ehinogbe street where the NURTW members clashed, hurried indoors and immediately closed for the day.
It was learnt that the attempt to forcefully take over the NURTW leadership was allegedly sponsored by some politicians who are preparing for the next year governorship election.
The said politicians were said to have directed their political thugs to chase away the current executive leadership of NURTW in the council as led by Mr. Kolade Jasper from the town.
Trouble started when a middle-aged man, simply identified with his nickname “Jungunnu” declared himself as the new chairman of the union.
Eyewitnesses say the self-acclaimed Chairman was said to have been moving around the whole town with some Okada riders, thereby declaring himself to the residents as the new council Chairman of the NURTW.
It was gathered that Jungunnu allegedly led his boys to First Molac hotel area where the Akure Car park is located and attacked the union leaders.
The fight was said to have spread to Ehinogbe area where it took the intervention of mobile Policemen before normalcy was returned to the ancient town.
When contacted, the current NURTW chairman of the council, Mr. Kolade Jasper said he has not received any letter from the national leaders that the local chapters of NURTW should be dissolved.
Jasper noted that the leader of group, who wanted to forcefully take over from him was not a member of NURTW.
He however, appealed to the governor, Olusegun Mimiko to rescue them from those he referred to as miscreants who are not members of the union but are now being pushed to disturb the peace of the town.
Reacting to the development,the Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, in the state, Mr Femi Joseph, confirmed the incident but said the police was on top of the situation stressing that an order from the state government gave credence to non dissolution of local chapters of NURTW in the state.
Joseph however appealed to the warring factions to maintain peace.
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