‘I Couldn’t Go to Work’ — Tension Grips Osun Residents After Police Sh00t Transport Union Chairman

‘I Couldn’t Go to Work’ — Tension Grips Osun Residents After Police Shoot Transport Union Chairman

Residents of Osogbo, the Osun State capital, are worried about their safety following the arrest and shooting of Nurudeen Iyanda, the chairman of the Osun State Transport Management System (OSTMS) also known as Alowonle, on Monday.

The press gathered that the anti-kidnapping unit of the Osun Police Command arrested the transport chairman on Monday night and reportedly shot him when he tried to escape.

Iyanda is said to be currently on life support at the Intensive Care Unit of the Osun State Teaching Hospital.

Mukaila Popoola, the secretary of the OSTMS, released a statement ordering motor parks to suspend their activities. Also, all commercial drivers will converge at Olaiya Junction in Osogbo on Wednesday to show solidarity with the chairman.

Many students and workers in Osogbo could not go to school and work because there were no commercial vehicles they could board.

Lydia Olayinka, an Osogbo resident, she had to cut short her trip to the office and return home on Wednesday when some men stopped commercial vehicles and forced passengers to alight.

Olayinka, who said that her workplace was in the Olaiya area of the capital city, she could not get a bus heading to her destination.

“I overheard some people saying the chairman of road workers was shot and he’s in a critical condition. They said if he dies, that will be disastrous,” Olayinka stated

“Around Ogo-Oluwa, I saw some men stopping korope (minibuses) and telling passengers to get down and go on their way. Then the drivers would be asked to go with their empty buses.

“Motorcycle riders are also pushing their motorcycles around the area instead of riding. People are not that many on the road too, as it’s almost like the streets are deserted.”

Another resident, who did not want to be named, told the press that road transport workers protested on Tuesday following the shooting of the park manager (Iyanda).

The press understands that Wednesday’s restricted movement in Osogbo is an offshoot of the protest. Some other residents were unable to move around the Aregbe area of Osogbo as well.

“The police shot the park manager in his stomach. As of Tuesday, the government said he was on life support,” the source disclosed

“The police said a petition was written against him related to a threat to life and attempted murder. These were the reasons the police wanted to arrest him, but he evaded arrest the first time and escaped. Then later, they found guns in his vehicle and he tried to escape. That was when the police shot him.”

Another source, who did not want to be named, said the petition against Arowonle was written by a man whose wife he had snatched.

“After the chairman learnt about the petition, coupled with the fact that the petitioner refused to back down, he started threatening to kill him,” they claimed.

Meanwhile, media reports stated that a Beretta pistol, six rounds of 9mm live ammunition and one expended empty shell were recovered from Alowonle’s private Toyota Highlander unregistered jeep during the arrest.

When we called Yemisi Opalola, the police public relations officer in Osun, she directed the reporter to call her deputy because she was in Delta State for a training programme.

Giwa Alade Emmanuel, the deputy PRO, could not be reached via phone call as he did not answer the calls. He had not responded to  message at press time.

Reports quoted Emmanuel as saying: “He was arrested in a case of unlawful possession of firearms, attempted murder, malicious damage. He was arrested in connection with those charges against him. CP directed that it should be transferred to the anti-kidnapping squad for discreet investigation. The case is still under investigation.”

FIJ