There was pandemonium at the Ali Iwo area of Ibadan on Tuesday evening following the alleged killing of two persons by some hoodlums who were said to be members of the Park Management System and National Union of Road Transport Workers.
The two sides were said to have engaged in a bloody clash which caused confusion in the area which is at the heart of the town
It was gathered that some PMS boys, who were returning from the commissioning of a bus terminal built by the Oyo State Government, were passing through Bere-Oje to Gate area when the violence erupted.
It was not clear who the aggressors were but some sources blamed the PMS boys, while others blamed the NURTW for the crisis.
A source in the area said the hoodlums were shooting recklessly. They attacked some innocent persons and at least two persons were allegedly killed.
The source said, ” The problem is that these PMS people have become untouchable and that is why they have continued to harass and even kill at will.
“Nothing has happened to the one who was fingered in the killing of that young man at Iwo Road in 2021. There are other cases like that and that is why they have continued to violate the law.”
But the Public Relations Officer of the PMS, Alhaji Emiola Jelili, blamed the NURTW for the violence.
He said the NURTW members, led by one Hamidu Were, attacked innocent people who wore PMS T-shirt and killed one of them and macheted some passengers.
He said, “We passed through Bere-Oje-Gate when we were returning from the commissioning if the Bus Terminal at Challenge by our Governor ( Seyi Makinde). One of the leaders of the NURTW, Hamidu Were, and his boys have a spot where they usually sit down but we did not meet then when we passed.
“We had gone and we were already at home when we were told on the phone that Hamidu Were and his boys had attacked our men.
“A Toyota Camry was coming from Lagos and when he got to the area where the NURTW members were on the same route, they ambushed him because he wore our vest, they dragged the driver out, attacked him with cutlass killed one of the passengers in the car.
“Hamidu Were called our chairman (Mukaila Lamidi aka Auxiliary) and threatened to kill him. They carried out the attack to outshine the inauguration of the Bus Terminal facilities by Governor Seyi Makinde. It is all about politics.”
In an online video, a man soaked in blood said he was attacked by Were’s boys. The man, who had deep gashes at the back of his head, narrated how he escaped being killed by his attackers on a bike.
The PMS imagemaker also made available an audio tape he claimed was the phone call recorded when Hamidu Were called Auxiliary to threaten him.
In the audio tape, the voice which PMS man claimed was that of Were ( of NURTW) accused Auxiliary of coming to kill in his area and he heaped so many curses on Auxiliary.
The man, who spoke in the Yoruba language, dared Auxiliary to pass through Ali Iwo area on Wednesday saying he would become a sacrifice to Ogun.
Although Were could not be immediately reached for his comment, some of his followers flayed Auxiliary and called for his arrest.
The Police Public Relations Officer in the Oyo State Police Command, Adewale Osifeso, when contacted, said the police had begun investigation into the incident.
The PPRO said, in response to inquiry by our correspondent, “Investigations are in motion. You would be sent updates accordingly.”
Copyright PUNCH.
