Islanders Magazine

Popular Island NURTW Leader Killed



There was tension on the Lagos Island on Friday morning as armed hoodlums protested against the killing of a transport union leader in the area.
The deceased union leader identified as Alakan, was on Thursday night killed around Abule Egba area of Lagos State, where he attended a meeting aimed at settling crisis in the union.
The hoodlums, who were armed, marched through some streets in Lagos Island where they attacked the home of the leader of a rival group.
Luther area was the most affected as colleagues of Alakan gathered in groups brandishing various dangerous weapons.
Shop owners on Lagos Island were forced to close down as they feared that the hoodlums might resort to looting.
Saturday Tribune gathered that trouble started some weeks ago when the transport union in Lagos Island became polarised along two different groups.
The state leadership of the union was reportedly trying to broker peace between the two groups when Alakan was murdered.
A source at the state secretariat of the union, who pleaded anonymity, told Saturday Tribune that ‘there was a meeting to resolve the crisis and some of the leaders of the two groups were invited.”
A resident of Katamgua Ile Epo Abule Egba area who identified himself simply as Akinola and who witnessed the clash between the two groups, stated that the arrival of policemen stopped the escalation of the mayhem.
He stated that members of the two warring groups left the union’s secretariat where Alakan was killed.
When contacted, the Public Relations Officer of the Lagos State police command, Joe Offor, claimed not to be aware of the incident.