NURTW fracas at Iwo Road leaves 2 dead, several injured, shops looted in Ibadan

The fracas, in continuous attacks and counter-attacks between the Oyo State Park Management System (PMS) and the proscribed National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) led to the looting of shops and killing of some persons at Iwo Road, Ibadan, Oyo State, on Wednesday.

At afternoon hours, residents of Oyo State had raised alert, warning people in Ibadan to avoid Iwo Road. At that time, violence had erupted in the area, shops were being attacked and looted. It was disclosed that two persons were killed in the fracas as men of the Oyo State Park Management System under the leadership of Mukaila Lamidi (known as Auxiliary), confronted some shop owners at Iwo Road, Ibadan, on Wednesday afternoon.

The Oyo State Park Management System were said to be on reprisal attack on the shop owners in continuation of the rivalry attacks and counter-attacks between the government agency and members of the proscribed National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), which earlier occurred on Monday.

It was narrated that the banned NURTW had in the Monday conflagration killed two persons working with the Oyo State Park Management System. The Monday conflagration was said to have occurred at Oremeji-Agugu area of Ibadan.

The workers of the Oyo State Park Management System was said to have invaded the Baba Onilu area of Iwo Road on Wednesday, intruding into shops where telephone handsets are sold.

The Oyo State Park Management System officials were said to have destroyed the goods of the phone sellers, injure many shop owners, destroyed kiosk, show glasses and looting items.

The NURTW was said to have lost one member in the fracas while many others were said to be seriously injured.

The conflagration culminated into disorder in the Iwo road axis, obstructing traffic, forcing  people, commuters and road-users to flee for safety.

It was revealed that there were gunshots between the warring parties.

Corporate businesses and commercial banks, were compelled to urgently shutdown for the day, leaving many customers were trapped in the banking hall.

It was gathered that there is still tension of counter-attack from the NURTW members but the time of the reprisal is unknown. Security operatives were, however, said to be on red alert, patrolling the city of Ibadan to forestall another violent outburst.