Violent Skirmish Among Kwara Transport Unions Lands Five in Hospital

A chaotic scene unfolded in Ilorin, the capital city of Kwara State, on Monday, as a confrontation between rival transport unions led to over five individuals sustaining injuries and requiring hospitalisation. PUNCH Metro reports on Tuesday that the unrest, which brought activities to a standstill in the Idi-Araba and Itakudimo districts of the metropolis, reportedly stemmed from an alleged assault on the office of the National Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO). Residents and commuters quickly dispersed from the vicinity as the situation escalated.

Mubaraq Bello, a local resident, recounted that the disturbance commenced when a group of youths arrived in tricycles, brandishing cutlasses and other weapons, heading directly towards the NARTO office. "We were at home when we suddenly saw some youths alighting from tricycles with cutlasses and other dangerous weapons before moving towards the NARTO office," Bello informed the correspondent. He added, "Some of them started throwing stones at the building, and that was when the situation became tense."

Abubakar Olatunbosun, a member of NARTO, pointed fingers at members of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), the Road Transport Employers’ Association of Nigeria (RTEAN), and the Tricycle Owners and Operators Association of Nigeria (TOOAN) for the assault on his association's members. Olatunbosun claimed the attack occurred as NARTO members were en route to the Kwara State Police Headquarters to seek resolution for the ongoing dispute.

"We were on our way to the police headquarters when we were attacked by members of the other unions," he stated. He further alleged that more than 100 tricycles belonging to NARTO members had been impounded, appealing to the state government for intervention before the situation spirals out of control. Olatunbosun affirmed that his association would not resort to vigilantism, choosing instead to pursue legal avenues for redress. "We respect the law, and we will not take the law into our own hands. Kwara has always been known as a peaceful state, and we do not want this matter to degenerate further," he emphasised.

Two individuals injured during the violence, Abdulwasiu Jamiu and Lukman Iyanda, also reported that their tricycles were forcibly taken from them. Jamiu alleged that numerous tricycle operators were assaulted and wounded during the melee. "They attacked us, took away our tricycles and injured some of our members," Jamiu recounted. Iyanda, who sustained an injury to his hand, claimed he was attacked while operating his tricycle in Itakudimo. "I was working with my tricycle at Itakudimo when I was attacked. My hand was injured during the incident," he said.

This confrontation emerges amidst escalating tensions concerning tricycle operations and the activities of various transport unions across parts of Kwara State. In a video obtained by PUNCH Metro on Tuesday, Abdullahi Abdulraheem, the Financial Secretary of the Kwara State Tricycle Riders, alleged that tricycles operating on major roads were being seized following a purported directive from the Commissioner for Transportation, Aliyu Korasabi. Abdulraheem lamented that this development had prevented many riders from conducting their daily business and earning a livelihood.

"We have chosen to work for our daily bread. We do not want to engage in theft, banditry or any other illegal activity, but we are being deprived of the opportunity to work," he asserted. He added, "The seizure of our tricycles has become a serious problem for our members, whose livelihoods depend on this business."

He further asserted that a court order previously mandated that tricycle operators should be allowed to function without harassment or interference. "We have a court order that allows us to operate without disturbance from any agency or authority, and we are calling on the Kwara State Government to intervene before this matter escalates," he pleaded.

Another tricycle operator, Mustapha Abdulateef, indicated that the increasing cost of union tickets, police harassment, and other challenges faced by riders had influenced some operators to align with NARTO. "The cost of tickets we pay, coupled with police harassment and other challenges on the road, made some of us decide to join a union that we believe can better protect our interests," he explained. He insisted, "The government should allow tricycle operators to belong to any union of their choice." Abdulateef also accused officials from the state Ministry of Transportation of disrupting a riders' meeting, causing damage to office equipment, parked tricycles, mobile phones, and other valuables. He concluded by highlighting NARTO's initiative to help unemployed youths acquire tricycles through instalment payments, framing it as a strategy for job creation and livelihood support. "We are only trying to create opportunities for unemployed youths through the tricycle business," he said.