Some of the affected motor parks where fracas were reported are Kuto, Lafenwa, Brewery, Ita Oshin, and Obantoko, among others.

There were reports of gunshots during the ensuing melee, while the union members were also said to have macheted themselves.

Central to this feud, according to a source, was an alleged attempt by the recently reinstated leadership of the NURTW under Alhaji Ismail Adewale, popularly called Yaro, to take over the collection of this week’s revenue from motor parks, whereas it is allegedly the turn of OGSPAM.

The source said, “The fracas is about leadership; it is about who is in charge of collecting the union’s tickets for the government.”

It was gathered that these three unions, NURTW, OGSPAM, and RTEAN, were responsible for the collection of revenue for the state government.

The state government had created OGSPAM after NURTW activity was suspended in the state in 2021.

A popular leader of the NURTW, Akeem Abodunrin, known as Iyeru, was made the chairman of OGSPAM to undertake the government sales of union tickets in the absence of NURTW.

But in October 2023, the ban was said to have been lifted, and NURTW was brought back under the leadership of Ismail Adewale, popularly called Yaro.

It was further gathered that early in March, the Commissioner for Transportation, Engr. Gbenga Dairo, directed both NURTW and OGSPAM to rotate the sales of the government tickets with the view to fostering peace among the unions.

By this arrangement, RTEAN will sell tickets for two weeks while NURTW and OGSPAM will sell tickets for one week respectively.

Sources in the union, however, said that trouble started gathering momentum when the commissioner again told the leadership of OGSPAM to step down while NURTW takes over the week that should ordinarily be for OGSPAM.