On Tuesday evening, pandemonium erupted in Ibadan’s Ali Iwo neighborhood following the reported murder of two people by hoodlums claiming to be members of the Park Management System and the National Union of Road Transport Workers.
The two sides were alleged to have fought bloodily, causing chaos in the town’s central district.
Some PMS guys were reportedly going through Bere-Oje to Gate area on their way back from the commissioning of a bus terminal erected by the Oyo State Government when the violence started.
Although it was unclear who the aggressors were, some sources blamed the PMS boys for the situation, while others blamed the NURTW.
According to a local source, the hoodlums were shooting indiscriminately. They allegedly killed at least two people after attacking several innocent people.
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.”
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.”
man covered in blood claimed he was attacked by Were’s boys in an online video. The man, who had large gashes in the back of his head, described how he narrowly evaded being slain by his assailants while riding his bike.
The PMS imagemaker also made accessible an audio tape that he claimed was recorded during Hamidu Were’s threat call to Auxiliary.
In the audio tape, a voice that PMS guy claimed was Were (of NURTW) accused Auxiliary of coming to kill in his area, and he cursed Auxiliary mercilessly.
On Wednesday, the man, who spoke in Yoruba, dared Auxiliary to pass through Ali Iwo neighborhood, claiming he would become a sacrifice to Ogun if he did.
Although Were could not be reached for comment right away, several of his supporters slammed Auxiliary and demanded his arrest.
When reached, Adewale Osifeso, the Police Public Relations Officer for the Oyo State Police Command, said the police had initiated an inquiry into the incident.
“Investigations are underway,” the PPRO responded, “Updates would be forwarded to you as needed.”
