Violence as Taskforce ‘kills’ two motorists in Lagos

Two commercial motorists were Wednesday morning killed by officials of the Lagos State Taskforce at Abule Egba following a disagreement.

The victims said to be a driver and conductor, were allegedly shot by the officials for yet to be ascertained reasons.

Another account indicated that the Taskforce officials crushed the driver with their patrol vehicle, a development that provoked the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) in the axis.

At the time of this report, the crisis was said to have escalated to Alakuko with sporadic gunshots heard and bottles flung across the road.

According to The Nation motorists caught up in the chaos alleged that some road users were hit by stray bullets while multiple accidents were recorded as people struggled to leave the scene of violence.

Commuters also lamented the absence of commercial vehicles which forced most of them to trek for long distances.

One Faidah Isola, who said she trekked from Abule Egba to Kola Bus Stop as a result of the fight between drivers and Taskforce, described Lagos as a terrible place.

Narrating his experience, a Twitter user said he saw how vehicles were reversing and making U-turn on the road.

“I was just hearing crashes. Some Policemen in a Keke beside me saw what was happening in front and stayed put. Cars were just running into each other, some looking to run into UBA for safety. Some urchins were smashing windscreens and displaying madness.

“I just found my way into that street beside UBA met traffic there, then people began to make U-turn again. The rearview looked clear, so I turned too,” he wrote.