At least four members of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) have died after a clash with transport union officials, over right for sales of tickets to trucks and collection of levies from truck drivers along the Lagos ports corridors.
Although there is no official confirmation from the MWUN and the identities of the deceased remained undisclosed, sources within the union confirmed to Shipping Position Daily on Sunday, that the four members died last week when members of the Lagos Park Management Committee stormed Tin Can Port corridor to collect levies and force the Committee’s N4,000 tickets on truckers.
An official of the MWUN, who pleaded anonymity told our correspondent that apart from the four deceased members, two other members who were critically injured in the fight are still in the hospital.
He confirmed that the union had written to the Presidency, the Lagos State Government and the Nigerian Ports Authority over the matter. He added that the union was awaiting responses.
He added that the union was shocked by the unprovoked attack on its members by people engaged by the Lagos State Park Management Committee to issue tickets to truck drivers on the Lagos ports’s corridors.
The MWUN top official also disclosed that the union was yet to issue an official statement on the attack and death of its members, because it President General; Comrade Adewale Adeyanju who was out of the country was yet to be fully briefed.
“Yes, MC Oluomo boys killed four of our members last week, when they came to Tin Can. We have written to the relevant bodies; we are waiting responses”, he confided in our correspondent on Sunday.
“We are waiting for our PG, when he comes back, the union’s position will be communicated to the public”, he added.
Shipping Position Daily had earlier reported the attack, when members of the Lagos State Park and Garage Committee invaded the port’s access roads, dislodging members of truckers’ unions and issuing tickets to truck drivers at the second-gate axis of the Tin-Can Island Port in Apapa.
Eye witness accounts confirmed that trouble started when members of the Mr. Musiliu Akinsanya- led Lagos State Park and Garage Committee came into port early in the morning last Tuesday, with several touts, and with policemen with vehicles marked as Lagos State Rapid Response Squad (RRS)
The eye witnesses reported that the Lagos State Park and Garage Committee members chased those who had been selling tickets at the ports’ gates and began to issue their own tickets at N4,000.
As the crisis escalated, the Port Police Commissioner, Mr. Taiwo Adeleke was alerted, and he reportedly called the attention of the Lagos State Police Commissioner of Police, Mr Sylvester Alabi and Head of RRS to ascertain if they were aware of the operations of the state Park and Garage Committee in the port.
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Our sources confirmed that the two officers said they were unaware of the visit, a development that made Adeleke to visit the scene.
Sources confirmed that members of the Park and Garage committee took to their heels upon sighting the Port Police Commissioner, Mr. Taiwo Adeleke team.
When contacted, Chairman of the Lagos State Park Management Committee, Mr Musiliu Akinsanya (aka MC Oluomo) said his boys could not have been behind the attack, because their operations did not extend to the port corridors.
He said: Maybe some people went there to cause trouble under the name of Lagos State Park and Garage Management, but I am very sure our members did not carry out the attack because our operations are not within the port environment.”
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