Members of the National Union of Road Transport Workers clashed in Owo on Wednesday following an alleged leadership position by a faction in the organisation.

Commercial and social activities were put to stop for several hours as drivers of the said union   shot sporadically and attacking themselves with matchetes, leading to several people sustaining varying degrees of injuries.

Residents and traders around the First Molac Hotel area and Ehin-ogbe Street of Owo, where clash occured, ran in different directions for the safety of their lives before hurriedly locking their shops.

CEOAfrica gathered that the alleged crisis was sponsored by some politicians in the town, who are said to be preparing for the next year’s governorship election in the state.

Trouble started when a man, identified as Jungunnu, moved around the town with some Okada riders, declaring himself to the residents as the new council Chairman of the NURTW in Owo.

Investigation however revealed that politicians were the one behind the crises as they used their political thugs to remove the current executive leadership of NURTW in the council area to pave the way for their own men to be in power.

An eyewitness said the self-proclaimed leader allegedly led his boys to the First Molac Hotel area, where a park is located and allegedly attacked the union leader there.

The intervention of riot policemen however restored normalcy to the ancient town. The union chairman in the council, Mr. Kolade Jasper, when contacted, said he had not received any notice from the national leaders to dissolve the local NURTW.

He, however, appealed to the state governor, Dr Olusegun Mimiko, and the security agencies in the state to protect him from the incessant attacks of miscreants, who were not members of the union but claiming to be.

In his reaction, the state Police Public Relations Officer in the command, Mr Femi Joseph, who confirmed the incident, said the police were on top of the situation.