Breaking: Truck driver shot as hoodlums, truckers clash at Tin Can Port

Dapo Olawuni |

An unidentified truck driver has been shot around Tin Can Island Port while four others who were matcheted have been rushed to the hospital as hoodlums allegedly attacked truck drivers around Coconut bus stop in Apapa.

Already, there is tension around Coconut bus stop as port users are now diverting through wharf road to access Tin Can Port.

Eye witnesses told our correspondent that the truckers are now regrouping for a reprisal attack. The crisis was reportedly fuelled by the fact that truck drivers were not allowed to pass through Ajegunle axis by the area boys.

Confirming the development to our correspondent, Alhaji Innua Mohammed, Chairman of dry cargo section of National Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO) said the fight has started early in the morning.

Innua confirmed that officials of the union were attacked by the hoodlums who were alleged members of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW)

“At night, these area boys mobilised themselves with police escorts from Trinity Police Station, some of the drivers that were sleeping in their trucks were shot, matcheted and trucks were destroyed, they wanted to start burning some trucks”

“Apart from the driver they shot with their locally made pistol, we have about four people they macheted”

Speaking with our correspondent on the cause of the clash, one of the drivers said the area boys were annoyed that trucks have hindered free movement of their buses coming out from Ajegunle area.

He alleged that the area boys got help from LASTMA officials and blocked the main expressway coming out from Tin Can Port, so as to give way for buses coming out from Ajegunle.

He said “We were in the truck, we didn’t even know what was going on, all of a sudden we saw the area boys coming out and machetted us and shooting at us, I have personally taken three people to the hospital”