3 ‘killed’, many injured as NURTW, RTEAN clash in Lagos over Truck ticket fees

Three persons were on Wednesday night feared killed and many others injured after members of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) and the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN) clashed.

Those feared killed were said to be RTEAN members allegedly gunned down by NURTW members on a revenge mission.

It was gathered that a fight broke out around 9:15pm on Wednesday at Mile Two between both groups following a scuffle over toll collection from truck drivers the previous day that left no fewer than 15 RTEAN members wounded.

Tuesday’s fight was said to have started at the Fatgbems bus stop along Oshodi-Apapa Expressway and escalated to Tin-Can First Gate with armed NURTW members insisting they were the ones to collect ticket fees from truck drivers entering Apapa port pegged at N2, 000.

This development was said to have not gone down well with RTEAN who usually issued tickets to its members at N800.

The disagreement between both unions, sources said, further heightened deep rooted bad blood prompting the state government to suspend toll collection by either of the unions so there would be peace.

Sources said there had been tension in the area since Monday, adding that another attack was prevented on Thursday morning by police operatives who fired teargas canisters to disperse hoodlums.