On Sunday, the Alaba Rago area of Iba in Lagos State was tense following a violent clash between road transport workers, commonly referred to as agberos, and supporters of a local traditional ruler.
The turmoil that erupted in the early hours of the day tragically resulted in the death of an unidentified passenger who was struck by a speeding vehicle during the commotion.
Eyewitnesses informed Metro that the clash was triggered by the recent opening of a new motor park in the area. Allegedly constructed by the monarch, this park is intended for vehicles traveling to northern and eastern regions of Nigeria, an initiative that existing transport workers found disagreeable.
"The monarch constructed a park near the Alaba Market side of the road. It was inaugurated on Saturday for vehicles heading towards the North and East," stated a resident known as Shola.
"The road transport workers were uneasy about the situation, even with the Commissioner of Police present. A dispute over the park between the monarch and several agberos sparked the chaos," explained a resident.
Residents claim that the agberos allegedly viewed the new park as a threat to their established system of collecting levies from drivers in the area.
Tensions rose when the monarch's supporters and transport workers clashed on Sunday morning.
Abbey, another resident, informed Metro on Monday that while individuals were engaged in chasing and fighting each other, a pedestrian attempting to cross the road near the new park was struck by a speeding vehicle and killed instantly.
A video shared with our correspondent revealed a gathering of sympathizers at the location of the incident.
In one video, the victim's lifeless body was surrounded by a pool of blood. In another clip, local residents covered the body with a cloth to protect onlookers from witnessing the gruesome scene.
In response to the clash, Benjamin Hundeyin, the spokesperson for the Lagos State Police Command, confirmed that efforts were in progress to de-escalate tensions and mediate peace between the conflicting groups.
"The spokesperson stated that the CP was personally present yesterday to conduct an on-the-spot assessment."
Hundeyin also noted that he met with all involved parties at the command headquarters in Ikeja on Monday to seek a lasting solution to the issue.
The incident on Sunday joins a rising number of violent confrontations involving road transport workers and union operatives throughout Lagos and nearby states.
In late 2023, a comparable clash between commercial motorcyclists and agberos in the Akute and Alagbole regions of Ogun State was reported to have led to multiple fatalities.
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