Scores of protesters at Alausa,
Ikeja, on Friday attacked a van believed to have been sent by Musiliu
Akinsanya, popularly called MC Oluomo, to deliver water and drinks to
protesters.
MC Oluomo, the chairman of the
National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Lagos chapter, was accused by
protesters of sponsoring the attack by armed thugs on Thursday.
MC Oluomo, the Lagos State
government and the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudashiru
Obasa, were accused of sending the armed thugs to attack protesters on
Thursday.
They have all denied the
allegations. The transport union chief in a video he shared on social media
said he supports the protest for police reform and could not have sent the
thugs.
Several protesters were injured at Alausa, Ikeja, on Thursday, after thugs
armed with guns, machetes, knives and axes attacked them.
A day after the incident, MC
Oluomo attempted to redeem his image in the eyes of the protesters. He sent
water and drinks, branded with his name.
Some of the protesters, unaware
of who sent the packs, collected and drank from the water and drinks before a
protester raised an alarm about the food.
“MC Oluomo sent them, he wants to
poison us, don’t drink the water,” he shouted.
Other protesters who also checked
the name on the bottles stated throwing the bottles at the white van that
conveyed them.
“We don’t want any support from MC Oluomo, they are trying
to break us, they want to penetrate again,” some protesters shouted.
Angered by the gesture of the NURTW leader, the protesters
threw bottles and other items at the van, as the driver sped from the venue to
avoid being mobbed.
The NURTW is arguably the most influential transport union
in Nigeria. Its members include private bus drivers and conductors and the
thousands of garage boys, popularly called ‘agberos’ who are known to assault
bus drivers and commuters to demand money.
Members of the NURTW are also often used as thugs by
politicians in each state. In Lagos, MC Oluomo and the NURTW are believed to
have a strong relationship with the governing party in the state, APC.
After protesters rejected MC
Oluomo’s gift, the #EndSARS protest continued in Alausa, Lagos, as in many
states of Nigeria despite various concessions by the government.
The
government last Sunday disbanded the notorious police unit, SARS, which was the
major demand of the protesters.
The government has also pledged
to ensure the prosecution of officers who assaulted and killed some protesters
and ensure freedom for all arrested protesters.
On Thursday, the National
Economic Council headed by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo approved that state
governors set up independent judicial panels to probe police harassment in each
state and that committees set up by state governors should have oversighton any
new police unit formed.
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