Normalcy Returned Along Port Access Road, As COMTUA Sympathies With Affected Drivers

Roland Ekama ,Lagos

Activities along the ever busy Ibafon,  Coconut axis along Apapa Oshodi Expressway have been restored following interventions by leaders of the Coalition of Maritime Truck Unions and Associations (COMTUA) ,leaders from the affected community in Ajegunle and the Nigeria Police Force.

Recall that transport activities within the axis were brought to a halt Thursday morning  as area boys clashed with truck drivers at Cocnut bus stop, inward Tin Can Island Port, Apapa, Lagos.

Speaking with DAILYFOCUS NEWS ONLINE ,later in the evening ,Head of COMTUA,Alhaji Inuwa Abdullahi noted that all parties involved in the face- off have resolved their difference .

Inuwa noted that four drivers are currently at the hospital receiving treatments as a result of the fracas, even as he added that a meeting has been fixed to that effect.

He noted that sanity has been restored because as I speak with you they are in a meeting and the rumour surrounding the death of someone is untrue.

He noted the fracas if continue would affect investors business and the economy at large adding that apart from the destruction of properties ; lives are at stake.

” We don’t want such to happen in anyway and we sympathy with our affected drivers and motor boys affected in the fight”,he added.

While narrating what led to rift between truckers and the area boys in Ajegunle, Inuwa who doubles as  Vice Chairman, Dry Cargo section of the National Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO),  added :“Last night, at about some minutes to 7pm, I received calls from two of our members and also somebody rushed to tell me that they were surprised that people crossing, for no reason, they just came and attacked some of our people and when I heard that, I quickly called some of the Policemen that were there, initially, one of them told me that he was at the second gate controlling traffic before I told them that there was problem. I called back they told me that they were there to address the situation.”

Inuwa continued, “ in the midnight, those boys mobilized themselves with some Police escort and came to machete some of the drivers on the queue, some of them while asleep. They said they came with Petrol, cutlasses and local guns.

“They started shooting, even a panel beater that was sleeping on the bench, they machete him and so many other people and I see so many other people with touch of bullets.

“When they were calling, I have to come here early in the money to come and give money to the injured to go to the hospital for treatment and to sue for peace, for those drivers to save their lives because those that were injured, about four of them and I gave them money to go for treatment including the one that they were removing bullets from.

“As I am speaking with you now, it is money that I want to give them for other victims and we learnt that the community leaders are all there, so, I don’t know if they are above the law.