Two feared dead as NURTW members clash over Obesere’s singing

There was panic after members of the National Union of Road Transport Workers at the weekend clashed, leading to the death of two persons at the Isolo area of Lagos State.

Eyewitnesses said the fight started between two factions of the NURTW at the installation ceremony of two chiefs at the Metropolitan College in Ireakari area of Isolo.

One of the eyewitnesses said: “The installation of the two chiefs – Muyideen Aboy, Akile of Isololand and Awolese, Shodoro of Isololand, was in commemoration of the 10th anniversary of the Oba of Isolo, Oba Kabiru Alansi Agbabiaka. The ceremony started very well, but suddenly everything went wild. We heard gunshots. We started running. We later heard that the shots were from a loyalist of one of the faction leaders around Cele/Ejigbo area.”

While some people claimed that two persons were killed, another set insisted that the two persons were only wounded.

Another eyewitness explained that two Fuji musicians – Abass Akande, otherwise known as Obesere, and Sefiu Alao, invited by the celebrants were entertaining the guests when NURTW’s National Treasurer, Musiliu Akinsanya, popularly known as MC Oluomo, came to the party and started spraying money on the two chiefs.

Narrated Awoyega, who said he was at the event: “When Oluomo got to the stage, Obesere was playing for Muyideen Aboy. Oluomo walked to where the other celebrant, Awolese, was and saw one of his members spraying the musician who was playing for the celebrant. Immediately the musician saw Oluomo, he started singing his praise. At that point, a member of the rival faction cautioned the musician to stop. Before we knew what was happening, one Olowu, a member of the rival faction, brought out a pistol to shoot Oluomo.”

Awoyega further said that Oluomo’s supporters halted the execution of the treasurer. Apparently not satisfied because he did not achieve his aim, Olowu snatched up a bottle of beer, smashed it and used the bottle neck to stab a man later identified as Oladimeji Kamoru on the left cheek.

There was panic and confusion, as all the guests bolted.

A policeman, who accompanied one of the musicians, tried to arrest Olowu but failed.

It was gathered that some members of the rival faction stormed Oluomo’s residence in Ejigbo area in two commercial buses, where they fired and shattered the louvers.

The police called for enforcement and the mob was dispersed.

A bullet recovered from the scene, was said to be from a police gun.

It was also said that the beretta pistol, which the bullet belonged to, had been missing.