A leader of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) on the Lagos Island, popularly called Kunle Poly, has been shot while his personal assistant, Peiro, was killed by suspected assassins.
This came as Governor Akinwunmi Ambode yesterday ordered the immediate and indefinite suspension of all NURTW’s activities on the Island.
Two policemen guiding the union leader and others were injured during the attack.
Kunle Poly, said to be the chairman of NURTW Branch C, Idumota, was holding a meeting with unit chairmen in the middle of the night.
But midway into the meeting, he decided to see some friends off. He was in the midst of two policemen and Peiro. But a few metres away from the meeting, they were rattled by sporadic gunshots from some hoodlums.
The policemen protecting Kunle were said to have returned fire for fire but they were hit by bullets in the legs, ribs and hands.
When the dust settled, the injured were rushed to the Island General Hospital where Peiro was later confirmed dead. An NURTW member at the meeting, who gave his name simply as Muftau, said Peiro was buried yesterday morning. As at yesterday, the entire area was still tensed while shops were under lock and key for fear of a reprisal.
The attack, according to a member of the union, was suspected to have been carried out by hoodlums from Agarawu.
As at noon on yesterday, there was rumour of moves to carry out a reprisal at Agarawu. The state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP Chike Oti, promised to get back to our correspondent.
Meanwhile, the state Commissioner of Police, Imohimi Edgal, announced the ban after the security meeting held at the Lagos House, Alausa, Ikeja. The commissioner said the decision was taken to forestall any further breakdown of law and order and ensure that the peace in the area was not hampered. Urging members of the NURTW on Lagos Island to comply with the directive, Edgal said that government would not hesitate to totally proscribe all union activities if members continued to disturb the peace in the area.
The commissioner said that no group of persons or organisations would be allowed to tamper with the peaceful security situation in Lagos State.
He said: “In view of the crisis rocking the NURTW chapter of the Lagos Island and the insecurity it is creating on the Island, the Security Council Meeting today (yesterday) chaired by the State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, has ordered that union activities be suspended on the Island until further notice.
“We are also using the opportunity to call on NURTW leadership in the state that nobody or group of persons, organisations would be allowed to tamper with the peaceful security situation in Lagos State and that the government would not hesitate to proscribe completely all union activities in the State if their members do not obey the laws of the land and ensure that their activities do not amount to breaching the peace.”
