About 27 cars and 17 trucks were vandalised during a clash between members of the National Union of Road Transport Workers and other unions at Express Quarry Nigeria Limited, Kilometre 15, Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Ekefa Village, Ibadan on Tuesday.
Our correspondent learnt that the fight broke out over the payment of N2, 500 by each truck driver to the NURTW.
Dangerous weapons were freely used in the fight which started around 9am. Eyewitnesses said many people were injured and taken to the hospital.
According to eyewitnesses, members of the Oluyole Ibadan Granites Sellers and Hauler Association; truck owners, as well as drivers had staged a protest on Monday against further payment to the NURTW office at the quarry.
This led to the visit of some NURTW leaders who promised to look into the issue. But the issue went out of hand on Tuesday, leading to a big fight.
Huge financial losses were incurred by some businessmen who had come to the quarry to purchase granite. A victim, Dada Oyebamiji, said he lost N1.4m while another businessman, Segun Adesina, said he lost N350, 000.
The fight also caused a traffic logjam along the expressway as vehicles heading towards Ibadan were stuck in the traffic until policemen from the Oyo State Area Command came to restore peace. Many passengers and drivers were said to have sought refuge in the bushes for fear of being attacked.
The Oyo State Commissioner of Police, Kola Sodipo, who paid a visit to the scene of the incident, urged all those involved in the fracas to maintain peace. He promised that offenders would be brought to book.
On Wednesday, anti-riot policemen, two armoured personnel carriers, six police vans and a Black Maria were seen at the scene of the incident.
